Pakistan’s Supreme Court acquitted on Wednesday morning Aasia Bibi, a Christian accused of blasphemy eight years ago.
The trial court and Lahore High Court’s verdicts sentencing her to death have been overturned. The court has also ordered that she be freed immediately if she isn’t wanted in any other cases.
The verdict on Aasia Bibi’s appeal challenging her death sentence was announced at 9:35am. The special bench hearing the appeal consists of Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel.
Reports of protests breaking out as of 9:41am outside the Punjab ***embly after the verdict was announced. Workers of the right wing Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) began gathering outside the assembly.
At 9:50am reports of minor unrest emerged from Karachi’s Numaish.
The route towards Tower was blocked at 9:59am. At 9:30am there were reports of roads being blocked in Karachi’s Baldia Town.
In Lahore, the TLP leadership gathered on Mall Road.
Protesters gather in Karachi’s Baldia Town.
Workers of the TLP began gathering at 9:50am at Orangi Town’s Ghaus-e-Azam Mosque in Karachi and Native Jetty Bridge at 9:55am. Islamabad’s Aabpara Chowk has been closed.
The Northern Bypass has also been blocked.
Protesters set up roadblocks in Karachi’s Baldia Town.
On October 8, a special three-member bench headed by Justice Nisar reserved its verdict after hearing the final appeal against the execution of Aasia Bibi. The appeal challenged a verdict of the Lahore High Court handed down in 2014 to uphold a trial court’s decision to sentence her to death.
It was Aasia Bibi’s last chance to appeal her death sentence. If the court did not rule in her favour, her only chance was to appeal to the president for clemency. The court had said that the media cannot discuss or comment on the matter until its final judgement is issued.
A case was filed against Aasia by a prayer leader in the village of Katanwala in Nankana Sahib.
The prayer leader said Aasia had confessed to committing blasphemy during an argument with a Muslim woman over a bowl of water. The allegations are that Asia made comments during an argument with three Muslim women while they were working in a field in Sheikhupura. She was asked to get some water but the other women said she was unfit to touch the water bowl as she was Christian. The women later went to the prayer leader to complain.
She was convicted and sentenced to death in 2010 and has been in jail ever since.
High alert
A right wing group, Tehreek Labbaik issued calls to its supporters a day earlier to emerge at morning prayers. It asked them to head to the streets in case a protest is called. The administration in Sindh has, for one, issued a security alert to law enforcement.
Police presence was increased at entry and exit points in Islamabad. Entry routes to the Red Zone were blocked with containers. The police is prepared to seal the Red Zone at a moment’s notice.
Security at the Supreme Court was also put on high alert, with a heavy presence of Rangers and police both within and outside the Supreme Court.
Salmaan Taseer & Qadri
This case is linked to that of Salmaan Taseer, the governor of Punjab, who was killed by his bodyguard Mumtaz Qadri. The assassination took place on Jan 4, 2011 in Islamabad. Salmaan Taseer had visited Aasia Bibi in a jail in Lahore and had received her petition for mercy. He had called for the blasphemy law to be amended to prevent it being abused.
The head of the right wing group Tehreek-e-Labbaik that has been following the case closely, Khadim Rizvi arrived at the Punjab Assembly before the verdict was announced.
The Supreme Court Bar Association election is scheduled to take place today (October 31) and this is likely to have a bearing on the presence of the legal fraternity in and around the court premises.
https://www.samaa.tv/news/2018/10/p...asia-bibis-death-penalty-appeal-on-wednesday/
You don't call one tyre and 5 people on a desolate road as protests!Rizvi has been shown his place.
