The High Court of Pakistan frees a Christian woman on the death row for blasphemy
The High Court of Pakistan frees a Christian woman on the death row for blasphemy
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan's Supreme Court released a Christian mother sentenced to death under the country's harsh blasphemy laws, sparking protests and violent threats from hardline Muslims.
After the ruling, protesters called for the murder of the judges in the case, the overthrow of the government and a revolt against the country's powerful army chief.
That prompted a televised speech during the night by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The protesters "are not helping Islam, they are acting as enemies of the country," he said. "To promote their political ends, they are inciting you."
He warned the demonstrators: "Do not force us to the point where we have to act."
The subject of blasphemy has aroused passions in Pakistan in recent years, with A movement that is formed between some. who believe that insults to Islam are on the rise and must be confronted, sometimes violently.
Pakistan has some of the most severe blasphemy laws in the world, with hundreds of people languishing in prison on blasphemy charges. Human rights groups say the laws are subject to abuse and that accusations against Muslims and non-Muslims are often used to settle accounts.
Asia Bibi in a prison near Lahore in November 2010.
Photo:
Associated Press
The woman released in the ruling, Asia Bibi, a farmer, was imprisoned in 2009 when a discussion led to charges of blasphemy against her. The Supreme Court ruled that the evidence against him was fragile and inconsistent, describing it as a "feast of falsehood." The hearing was chaired by the country's chief judge.
"I think she got justice," said her lawyer, Saif ul Malook. Mr. Malook, who said he received death threats for defending Ms. Bibi, added that he did not think it was safe for her to continue living in Pakistan.
The case provoked international protests. Pope Benedict XVI was among those who asked for mercy for the mother of five children.
"This is a historic verdict," said Omar Waraich of Amnesty International. "The message must be that the anti-blasphemy laws will no longer be used to persecute the most vulnerable minorities in the country."
Ms. Bibi was imprisoned after being accused by Muslim villagers of denigrating the Prophet Muhammad during a discussion about a water drink while picking fruit in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The Muslim women had refused to drink water that she had brought because she was a Christian.
"This is the most wonderful moment," said Eisham, Mrs. Bibi's 18-year-old daughter, to Help the Church in Need, a British non-governmental organization. "I can not wait to hug my mother and then celebrate with my family, I'm grateful to God for listening to our prayers."
Several thousand protesters gathered Wednesday in the city of Lahore, the center of the country's anti-blasphemy movement. Hundreds of others protested in the outskirts of Islamabad and demonstrations also emerged in other cities.
Last year, a three-week blasphemy protest in Islamabad led to violent clashes with police and the resignation of a government minister.
In Ms. Bibi's ruling, the judges noted that since 1990, 62 people have been killed by vigilantes based on blasphemy charges before going to court.
Ms. Bibi's family has been in hiding since she was arrested. She was sentenced to death by a court in 2010. Her husband, Ashiq Masih, told The Wall Street Journal in 2016 that he made a living doing occasional jobs and that he had not dared to return to his hometown near Lahore.
"Our whole life was in that town, that's where I grew up," Mr. Masih had said. "But this fight, and this misunderstanding, created the problem, and it was a problem of the kind that even makes your brother leave you."
In 2011, a prominent Pakistani politician, Salmaan Taseer, took the case of Ms. Bibi, saying that she was incarcerated by mistake and that she was asking for a reform of the blasphemy laws. Later he was killed by his own police.
When the authorities executed Mr. Taseer's killer in 2016, dozens of thousands crowded his funeral Praise the assailant as a hero. In this year's general election, the newly formed political party of the blasphemy movement He won more than two million votes..
Corrections and Amplifications
Asia Bibi was convicted of blasphemy in 2010. An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that she was convicted in 2009. (October 31)
Write to Saeed Shah in saeed.shah@wsj.com
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