Asia Bibi leaves Pakistan
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| Pope Francis meeting Asia Bibi's husband and daughter in the Vatican, April 15, 2015 |
Asia Bibi, the Catholic woman sentenced to death in 2010 for
blasphemy and acquitted in October, is reported to have arrived in Canada. Paul
Bhatti, the brother of assassinated Pakistani Christian politician, Shahbaz
Bhatti, has welcomed the news and praised her acquittal by the Supreme Court.
By Robin Gomes
The Catholic woman who was on death row for eight years in
Pakistan until her acquittal by the Supreme Court six months ago has left the
country, her lawyer and media said on Wednesday.
"I have inquired within available channels, and
according to them, she has left for Canada," Asia Bibi's lawyer, Saif Ul
Malook told Reuters.
Pakistani government officials did not reveal her
destination, or say when she left but Pakistani TV channels Geo and ARY, citing
unidentified sources, reported Asia Bibi had left the country.
Asia Bibi who was imprisoned in June 2009 and condemned to
death the following year, was declared innocent and ordered free on October
31. Her acquittal was upheld on January 29, dismissing a petition filed
by Islamists who have called for her execution.
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws remain an extremely sensitive
issue in the predominantly Muslim nation. The case of Asia Bibi has polarized
the people, drawing intense criticism even within the country.
Influential Punjab governor Salman Taseer and the Minister
for Minorities Affairs, Shahbaz Bhatti, a Catholic, were both assassinated in
2011 after they defended Asia Bibi and spoke out against her death sentence
and the misuse of the blasphemy laws.
Shahbaz Bhatti’s brother, Paul Bhatti, has
welcomed the news of Asia Bibi leaving Pakistan as “great news”. Paul,
who is a physician in north Italy, told Vatican News that the Christian woman
has suffered much for too long and it would have been very sad if she were not
out.
He said many people have been sacrificed because of the
blasphemy laws, such as his brother Shahbaz and Taseer, but finally the Chief
Justice of Pakistan has declared her innocent saying this is against the tenets
of Islam.
He said the verdict was a good message by the judiciary to
the country, and many people felt that it was a step forward to prove that
Pakistan is not a nation of extremists and that Pakistani’s believe in basic
human rights.
Bhatti said that the case of Asia Bibi has aroused great
interest in Canada, especially among minorities, including many Muslims.
He said that the governor of Punjab, in Pakistan, who was in Canada in April,
openly expressed his regret that justice had been denied to Asia Bibi for too
long and that the nation was a victim of fanaticism and extremism. He
hoped such cases don’t occur any more in future.
The Chief Justice who acquitted Asia Bibi was also in Canada
recently and said that he was not afraid to deliver justice even though he is
under threat by extremists.
Bhatti expressed satisfaction over improving relations
between Muslims and Christians in Pakistan, saying they share common values and
condemn killing in the name of religion.
He noted that the number of extremists in Pakistan is
diminishing with fewer demonstrations and protests.
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