The mother-of-five is free after eight years in prison over an argument with Muslim women about drinking from a bucket of water.
By Neville Lazarus, India reporter, 29 January 2019
PAKISTAN
Death row Christian Asia Bibi is allowed to leave Pakistan after the country’s top court upheld her acquittal on blasphemy charges. Ms Bibi, who spent eight years on death row, will now be free to join her daughters who fled to Canada and were granted asylum there.
The 54-year-old was acquitted in October – eight years after she was convicted for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad in a dispute with her neighbours.
But she has remained under guard at a secret place since her acquittal as Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government attempted to quell anger over her exoneration by radical Islamists, who staged nationwide protests and almost brought the capital Islamabad to a standstill.
More than 3,000 members of the radical Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) group were arrested on charges of terrorism after the protest, with its leader and high profile members still in prison.
This afternoon, three members of the Supreme Court of Pakistan dismissed their appeal against Ms Bibi’s acquittal. Heavy security surrounded the court as the verdict was due, with paramilitary troops and quick response units deployed in sensitive areas in the capital.