Pakistans Islamic zealots block Asia Bibis release
News & Trends •
yet another government has capitulated to violent religious extremists who neither believe in democracy nor the constitution it read1 the fate of a pakistani christian woman asia bibi accused of blasphemy was in limbo saturday after the government allowed islamist hardliners to appeal against her acquittal and put her on a no fly list1 bibi who had been on death row since 2010 was acquitted of all charges by pakistans supreme court on wednesday triggering protests by islamist hardliners who paralysed the country for three days blocking roads and disrupting traffic in major cities1 the protesters however ended their action friday night after the government reached a controversial deal to put bibi on the no-fly list and saying it would not object to an appeal against the verdict which was filed earlier in the supreme court1 we have requested the supreme court to put asia bibi on the exit control list as soon as possible so that she could not fly out of the country ghulam mustafa chaudhry the lawyer of qari salam who filed the case against bibi told afp1 we fear that she would be flown out of the country so we have requested the court for an early hearing of the case he said adding that he would exploit all legal remedies to make sure asia bibi is hanged according to the law1 bibis lawyer saif-ul-mulook and pakistani media criticised the government for caving in to the islamist hardliners after prime minister imran khan had earlier appeared to stand up to them following the court verdict1 mulook said the islamist outcry was unfortunate but not unexpected1 whats painful is the response of the government. they cannot even implement an order of the countrys highest court he said adding that the struggle for justice must continue1 dawn the countrys oldest newspaper blasted the deal as another surrender in an editorial on saturday1 bibis lawyer who saved her from the gallows left the country early saturday after threats to his life1 according to the agreement which came after a failed first round of talks legal proceedings will follow to impose a travel ban on bibi and stop her leaving the country1 her life would be more or less the same either inside a prison or in solitary confinement for security fears until a decision on the appeal said mulook1 bibis husband ashiq masih called on authorities to protect her saying he worried she may be attacked1 the situation is dangerous for asia. i feel that her life is not secure he told german deutsche welle radio. so i appeal to government to enhance asias security in jail1 blasphemy is a massively inflammatory charge in muslim-majority pakistan where even unproven allegations of insulting islam and its prophet mohammed can provoke death at the hands of vigilantes1 mulook himself left pakistan early saturday citing threats to his life from islamist hardliners and other lawyers1 in the current scenario its not possible for me to live in pakistan the 62-year-old lawyer told afp before boarding a plane to europe. i need to stay alive as i still have to fight the legal battle for asia bibi he said1 life in the major cities of karachi lahore and islamabad returned to normalcy as shops opened and traffic resumed after the protesters dispersed friday night1 the tehreek-e-labaik pakistan party tlp which has largely led the demonstrations announced an end to the mass protests after reaching a deal with the government1