Asia Bibi's family seeks asylum and lawyer flees the country after Pakistan blasphemy ruling
By Sam Blewett
4 November 2018 — 9:45am
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London: The husband of a Christian Pakistani woman who spent eight years on death row after being accused of blasphemy has asked Theresa May to grant them asylum in Britain.
And the lawyer for the woman, Asia Bibi, has fled the country, fearing for his safety.
Pakistani protesters burn tyres while blocking a main road during a protest after a court decision to acquit the Christian of blasphemy charges.Credit:AP
Bibi has faced calls for her death amid widespread protests after she was acquitted of an allegation of insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad.
Her husband, Ashiq Masih, on Saturday called for the UK to grant Bibi's mother and their family refuge amid fears for their safety.
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In a video seen by the Press Association, he says: "I am requesting the Prime Minister of the UK help us and as far as possible grant us freedom."
Speaking in Punjabi, he also called for asylum from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Donald Trump in the footage.
Asia Bibi in 2010.Credit:AP
Wilson Chowdhry, chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association, who has also launched a petition calling for their asylum, said: "The fact no offer has manifested is shocking.
"Hundreds of thousands of people have rioted and called for her death."
The official route to asylum would mean the family would need to make the request after fleeing Pakistan. However, the Pakistani government has reached a deal with Islamists to restrict Bibi's travel while her case is reviewed.
The chairman of Britain's foreign affairs select committee, Tom Tugendhat, said he has asked the Home Office for an "urgent evaluation of the situation", the
Guardian reported.
- Chairman of Britain's foreign affairs select committee, Tom Tugendhat. wrote:
- Imran Khan needs to decide if he believes in the rule of law or the rule of the mob.
"It is clear that Ms Bibi, and other religious minorities, are in grave danger and Prime Minister Imran Khan needs to decide if he believes in the rule of law or the rule of the mob," the Conservative MP added.
May has previously called for the death penalty to be abolished globally when asked about Bibi's case.
Bibi was arrested in 2009, accused of insulting Islam's prophet during an argument with fellow farm workers and sentenced to death for blasphemy. Lawyers have denied she ever insulted Islam.
Campaigners have long criticised Pakistan's blasphemy laws, saying they are misused to abuse religious minorities.
Supporters of Pakistani religious party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam pray during a rally to condemn Asia Bibi's acquittal.Credit:AP
Pakistan's Supreme Court acquitted Bibi on Wednesday, upholding the law but saying there was not enough evidence to convict her.
France and Spain have reportedly offered Bibi asylum
It has been requested that the footage of her husband's message is not made public for fear of reprisals.
Meanwhile, Bibi's lawyer, Saiful Malook, has left Pakistan.
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The government reached a deal with the Islamists in which it agreed to impose a travel ban on Bibi while the case is reviewed. In return, the Islamists halted their protests, which had blocked roads and brought life to a standstill in parts of the country.
Malook told The Associated Press earlier this week that he would have to leave Pakistan because the followers of hard-line cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi had threatened to kill him as well as the judges who acquitted Bibi.
The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that Malook passed through Rome en route to Amsterdam. It said he would speak at a conference in Amsterdam next week before permanently relocating to London.
Blasphemy against Islam is punishable by death in Pakistan, and the mere rumour has caused lynchings. Islamists have made the blasphemy law a central rallying cry.
Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab province, was shot and killed by one of his guards in 2011 for defending Bibi and criticising the misuse of the law. The assassin, Mumtaz Qadri, was hanged for the crime, but later was hailed by religious hard-liners as a martyr, with millions visiting a shrine set up for him near Islamabad. Malook had served as the prosecutor in Qadri's trial.
Bibi was arrested in 2009 on allegations that she insulted Islam's Prophet Muhammad during an altercation with other farmworkers. Her family and lawyers deny she ever insulted Islam.
Rights groups have called for Bibi's release and criticised the blasphemy law, saying it has been used to settle scores or abuse religious minorities. The court upheld the blasphemy law, but said there was not enough evidence to convict Bibi.
Pakistan's Supreme Court has not been known to reverse its decisions, but court reviews typically take years. Bibi's ordeal looks set to continue until the review is completed.
Bibi's family had expected her release by Thursday night. Her husband, Ashiq Masih, returned from Britain with their children in mid-October and was waiting for her release so that they could fly out of Pakistan. Though the family has not disclosed her destination, France and Spain have offered asylum.
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