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Pakistani Supreme Court to hear plea in Christian woman Aasia Bibi's blaspemy case next week

Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 26 Jan 2019

Pakistani Supreme Court to hear plea in Christian woman Aasia Bibi's blaspemy case next week

Islamabad: The Pakistani Supreme Court on Thursday fixed next Tuesday as the date for hearing a review petition over its decision to overturn Christian woman Aasia Bibi’s conviction in a blasphemy case.

Aasia has been on a death row for several years over false blasphemy accusation made against her.

Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa will head the three-member bench, comprising Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, that will hear the review petition — filed by Qari Muhammad Salaam — next week on Tuesday, reported Dawn News.

The court had acquitted Aasia on Oct 30 last year.

"Keeping in mind the evidence produced by the prosecution against the alleged blasphemy committed by the appellant, the prosecution has categorically failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt," the then chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar had written in the verdict, as per Dawn News.

Protests and release from prison:

The Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) had protested against the three-day-long mass protest against the acquittal of the Christian woman.

As per Dawn News report, the protests were called off after the religio-political party reached an agreement with the government, the foremost condition of which was the placement of Aasia's name on the Exit Control List. The government, however, had only agreed to "initiate the legal process" to place her name on the list, while also agreeing that it would not oppose any review petitions being filed against the SC judgement.

Aasia was released from prison in Multan on Nov 7. She was flown to Islamabad and has been shifted to an undisclosed place amid tight security.

Aasia and her daughter:

The daughters of Aasia Bibi have migrated to Canada and are residing in the capital Ottawa, sources have told The Express Tribune.

They were staying with their stepmother during Bibi’s detention. 

Sources told the Pakistani newspaper the family’s longstanding guardian and his family were also granted asylum by the Canadian government. 

Aasia was convicted of blasphemy by a Pakistani court and was sentenced to death by hanging in 2010.