ISLAMABAD – Several thousand Islamist hardliners protested in Lahore Fridayas Pakistan awaits a pivotal ruling in the country’s most notoriousblasphemy case, that of a Christian mother who has been on death row since2010.
The rally, organised by anti-blasphemy party Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan(TLP), was the biggest of several in cities across Pakistan, with a fewhundred protesters also demonstrating in the southern port city of Karachi,and in Rawalpindi, which neighbours Islamabad.
The Islamists demanded the execution of Asia Bibi be carried out, daysafter Pakistan’s Supreme Court heard her final appeal.
The court said it had reached a judgement at the hearing on Monday, butthat it would not release it immediately for “reasons to be recordedlater”, and told media they could not publish comments on the inflammatorycase.
Bibi is at the centre of the high-profile case which has divided Pakistanand drawn prayers from the Vatican.
A Christian labourer, she was accused of blasphemy against the ProphetMohammed in 2009 by Muslim women she was working with in a field.
The charge is punishable by death under legislation that rights groups sayis routinely abused to settle personal vendettas.
Successive appeals against Bibi’s conviction have failed. If the SupremeCourt upholds it, the only recourse she will have will be a mercy petitionto the president.
Freedom in Pakistan, however, would mean a life under threat by extremists.
The mere accusation of blasphemy is so explosive in the conservative Muslimcountry that anyone even accused of insulting Islam risks a violent andbloody death at the hands of vigilantes.
Also on Friday the Islamabad High Court said it had ruled on a petitionthat would put Bibi on the no-fly list if she is released. It did notimmediately announce its judgement.
Pope Benedict XVI joined in international calls for Bibi’s release in 2010.In 2015 her daughter met with Pope Francis.
Calls for reform to Pakistan’s colonial-era blasphemy laws have beenrejected and met with violence.
Politicians including new Prime Minister Imran Khan invoked blasphemyduring this summer’s election, vowing to defend the laws. – APP/AFP