ISLAMABAD – Asia Bibi, the Christian woman at the centre of a decade-longblasphemy row, is “free” and has been reunited with her family, USSecretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday, months after her deathsentence was overturned.
Pompeo issued a statement after a government source in Pakistan told AFPearlier Wednesday that Bibi had left the country “of her own free will” –the latest chapter in a saga that has sparked violent demonstrations andhigh-profile assassinations while spotlighting religious extremism.
“The United States welcomes the news that Asia Bibi has safely reunitedwith her family,” Pompeo said in a statement.
“Asia Bibi is now free, and we wish her and her family all the bestfollowing their reunification.”
It was not clear when Bibi may have left or where she may have gone, thoughBritish Prime Minister Theresa May appeared to confirm that Canada was herdestination while speaking on the floor of the House of Commons Wednesday.
“Canada made this offer and we thought it was right and appropriate that wesupported the offer that Canada had made,” May said.
Canada’s foreign ministry said it had no comment on the matter. ThePakistani government source spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity and didnot confirm Bibi’s destination, and there was no official announcement fromIslamabad.
Blasphemy carries a maximum death penalty under Pakistan’s penal code.
It is an incendiary issue in the Muslim-majority country, and mereallegations of insulting Islam have sparked lynchings and vigilanteviolence in the past.
“It is a great relief that this shameful ordeal has finally come to an endand Asia Bibi and her family are safe,” said Omar Waraich, deputy SouthAsia director at Amnesty International.
“She should never have been imprisoned in the first place, let alone endurethe constant threats to her life. This case horrifyingly illustrates thedangers of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and the urgent need to repeal them.”
– Violent protests –
Bibi — a labourer from central Punjab province — was first convicted ofblasphemy in 2010 and was on death row until her acquittal last year.
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Her case swiftly became the most infamous in Pakistan, drawing worldwideattention to extremism in the country.
She has technically been free to leave Pakistan since January when theSupreme Court dismissed a legal challenge to her acquittal in October.
Since then, Bibi has been widely believed to have been held in protectivecustody by authorities as she awaited an asylum deal in a third country.
In November Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Ottawa was holding talkswith Pakistan about bringing her to Canada, which he said is “a welcomingcountry”.
Bibi’s lawyer Saif ul Mulook and multiple security sources in Pakistan alsotold AFP on condition of anonymity that Bibi had gone to Canada.
Many blasphemy cases in Pakistan see Muslims accusing Muslims, but rightsactivists have warned that religious minorities — particularly Christians– are often caught in the crossfire, with such accusations used to settlepersonal scores.
Two politicians have been assassinated in connection with Bibi’s case, andshe spent much of her time in prison in solitary confinement because offears she could be attacked by a guard or another prisoner.
Islamist groups have regularly called for her to be executed, and activistshave warned that she would not be safe in Pakistan.
Following Bibi’s acquittal in October the country was gripped for days byviolent protests led by the hardline group Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP),which also called for mutiny in the armed forces and assassination of thecountry’s top judges for acquitting her.
In the wake of the nationwide protests, TLP’s leaders — who paralysed thecapital Islamabad for weeks in 2017 with an anti-blasphemy sit-in — wererounded up in a government crackdown months ago and remain in detention.
Christians — who make up around two percent of the population — occupyone of the lowest rungs in class-obsessed Pakistani society, largely livingin slums and working menial jobs as street sweepers, cleaners and cooks.-APP/AFP
