Aasia Bibi acquitted in blasphemy case leaves Pakistan

A portrait of Aasia Bibi. Pic/AFP

Islamabad: Aasia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman who was freed from death row by the Pakistan Supreme Court in a blasphemy case last year, has left the country and reached Canada to reunite with her family, according to her lawyer. The 47-year-old mother of four was convicted in 2010 after being accused of insulting Islam in a row with her neighbours. She always maintained her innocence, but has spent most of the past eight years in solitary confinement.

"Aasia Bibi has left the country. She is a free person and travelled on her independent will," a source in the foreign office was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper. Bibi's counsel Saiful Malook confirmed that she has reached Canada, the Guardian reported. ¿It is a big day. Asia Bibi has left Pakistan and reached Canada. She has reunited with her family.

Justice has been dispensed,¿ he was quoted as saying by the British newspaper. He said that Bibi's safe arrival in Canada was the result of hard work by activists, foreign diplomats and others ¿who stood by Bibi in hard times and worked for her freedom.¿ The Supreme Court had on October 31 last year acquitted her of blasphemy charges. The judgement triggered protests across Pakistan with protestors led by Islamic political party Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan and other groups blocking major highways and roads in different parts of the country.

The British Pakistani Christian Association too said in a statement that they had ¿received confirmation from a British diplomat that Aasia Bibi had safely exited Pakistan.¿ Geo News quoted sources as saying that the woman's documents were made a month ago. The Pakistan government had in November rejected reports claiming Aasia Bibi has fled abroad, saying the images on the social media showing the recently-acquitted Christian woman being greeted overseas are "fake".

It was reported in local media that she was taken to Noor Khan Airbase Rawalpindi, from where she would be shifted to the Netherlands. Earlier, Italy had said it would help Bibi leave the country because her life was in danger following charges of blasphemy that put her on death row for eight years. Her husband had also urged the US president, and the UK and Canada premiers to help her leave the country for her life. Bibi's husband Ashiq Masih in a video message had appealed to the world leaders to help Aasia leave Pakistan for her safety.

Top stories of the day

• Death by Garbage: Man dies under weight of waste in Kurla
• Video: Minor boys perform death-defying stunt on Mumbai local train
• Mumbai: CSMT's hi-tech indicators make commuters unhappy
• Mumbai Crime: 55-year old doctor rapes model in Versova; arrested
• Visually challenged Mumbai boy 95 percent in ICSE
• Banned stapler pins on your tea bags? FDA is waiting for your complaint
• Talaq, not qubool, says Bhiwandi woman to husband
• Four cars catch fire in two days on Mumbai-Pune Expressway
• Mumbai: Drop in road accident deaths in city, suburbs
• Mumbai: Relief for flat owner who owes society dues of Rs 4.91 lakh
• 42 cats, dogs rescued from 'unhygienic' Virar flat
• Kumbh pe kharcha and other matters in polls pe charcha
• S K Patil Udyan in south Mumbai opens after eight months
• 'Joblessness is the real terrorism'
• Researchers at IITB develop first ever microprocessor, major boon for India's electronics
• Twitterati reacts to Narendra Modi's comment on Gandhi family using INS Viraat as personal taxi

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates