A Christian woman has been acquitted by Pakistan’s Supreme Court who has been on death row for almost eight years on blasphemy charges.
The landmark release of Asia Bibi, a 47-year-old farm labourer, has pitched the state into the latest of several battles with supporters of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a rabid, fast-growing political party that exists solely to punish blasphemers. Asia was charged with insulting the prophet Muhammad after she drank from a cup of water before passing it to Muslim fruit-pickers.
Ambulances are held up and mothers are forced to feed their babies by the side of the road because of traffic jams, while authorities shut schools across most of the country.
The protests show from footage anti-blasphemy campaigners clubbing and throwing shoes at posters of Pakistan’s chief justice and the new prime minister, Imran Khan because the prime minister on Wednesday night threatened a fierce government response if protesters did not disperse.
“We are ready to sacrifice our lives for this noble cause,” one told, “and have rejected whatever rubbish the prime minister said in his speech”.
The country’s Prime Minister Imran Khan slammed the protests as a “disgusting response” to the top court’s decision.
“You are not aiding Islam by talking about killing judges and by killing our generals who have sacrificed so much for our country,” Khan said in defense of the verdicts. “I am appealing to our people: Do not get caught up by the worlds of these people who only want to increase their vote bank.”
In his statement, made Wednesday on Pakistani state-run TV, the PM warned the TLP to halt the protests. “This government will not stand aside and see property and livelihoods being destroyed. Do not force us to take action.”
> Shiuly Rina
Protests Spread Throughout Pakistan due to Blasphemy of Asia Bibi
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