SC rejects review petition against Asia Bibi's acquittal
The Supreme Court has dismissed petition against Asia Bibi's acquittal.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Supreme Court of Pakistan has rejected review petition against Asia Bibi’s acquittal in blasphemy case.
"Based on merit, this review petition is dismissed," Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa remarked.
The CJP stated that there is clear contradiction in statements of all the witnesses, they could be jailed for life or given death sentence for lying to the court in such sensitive case.
We are keeping sensitivity of the case in consideration, otherwise, witnesses would have been behind bars over false statements, he added.
The CJP further remarked that lawyer of Qari Salim, a cleric who made the first official complaint against Bibi in 2009, has failed to find any flaw in the verdict.
Asia Bibi, a farm worker, was condemned in 2010 over allegations that she made derogatory remarks about Islam after neighbours working in the fields with her objected to her drinking water from their glass because she was not Muslim.
Incited by Qari Salim, a mob at the time accused her of committing blasphemy. Police responded by arresting Bibi, who was sentenced to death by a trial court in November 2010.
Bibi has denied the charges, and her prosecution rallied international rights groups, politicians and religious figures.
Last year, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel overturned the death sentence of Bibi, sparking days of violent demonstrations by Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) activists across the country.
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Authorities struck a deal with TLP to end the violence which included allowing the petition seeking an appeal against the Supreme Court’s judgement.
READ FULL TEXT OF SUPREME COURT VERDICT ISSUED ON OCT 31 LAST YEAR:
