Blasphemy: Pak upholds Aasia Bibi acquittal

Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected review petition against Christian woman Aasia Bibi’s acquittal in blasphemy case.

Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa announced: “Based on merit, this review petition is dismissed.” The CJP stated that there was clear contradiction in statements of all the witnesses and they could be jailed for life or given death sentence for lying to the court in such a sensitive case.

“We are taking sensitivity of the case into consideration, otherwise, witnesses would have been behind bars over false statements,” he added.

The CJP said lawyer of Qari Salim, a cleric who made the first official complaint against Bibi in 2009, had failed to find any flaw in the verdict.

Aasia Bibi, a farm worker, was condemned in 2010 over allegations that she made derogatory remarks about Islam after neighbours working in the fields with her objected to her drinking water from their glass because she was not Muslim. Incited by Qari Salim, a mob accused her of committing blasphemy. Police responded by arresting Bibi, who was sentenced to death in November 2010.