Aasia Bibi’s acquittal: Religious parties stage road protests, sit-ins in KP

PESHAWAR: The protest against the acquittal of Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman convicted for committing blasphemy in 2010, continued in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the second consecutive day on Thursday.

The Supreme Court acquitted Aasia Bibi in the case on Wednesday.

In Peshawar, the activists of Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat staged separated protest rallies.

The activists of the Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan staged the sit-in at the Pir Zakori Sharif Bridge. The protesters placed barbed-wires on the Grand-Trunk Road and blocked it for traffic.

The closure of GT Road and Ring Road junction also blocked access to the Motorway. The commuters faced difficulties due to the closure of the roads in the provincial capital. People had to walk from Chamkani to Peshawar.

The activists of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat also staged a protest outside the Peshawar Press Club. And the Jamaat-e-Islami workers held a protest walk from Nishtarabad to GT Road.

Meanwhile, Wafaqul Madaris Al-Arabia, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Nazim Hussain Ahmad through a statement criticized the Supreme Court’s verdict and claimed that Aasia had confessed to her crime.

He said that sessions court and High Court had convicted her on the basis of her confession but the SC released her. He said that SC judges had ignored the judgments of the high court and lower court.

LANDIKOTAL: Jamiat Ulema -e-Islam (Fazl) leaders and party workers staged a protest demonstration in Landikotal Bazaar and blocked the Torkham-Landikotal road to record their protest against the court verdict to release of Aasia.

The scores of JUI-F workers and leaders, led by Mufti Muhammad Ejaz Shinwari, marched from Bacha Khan Chowk and gathered at Landikotal by-pass road.

They were holding flags and banners inscribed with slogans against the released Aasia. They chanted slogans against the release of Aasia and burned tyres on the road.

MARDAN: The activists of different religious parties and traders staged protest rallies in different parts of the district and also blocked different roads.

SWABI: The protesters belonged to various religious and political parties held a protest demonstration in the district headquarters at Karnal Sher Khan Chowk against the acquittal of Aasia Bibi.

The protest call had been given by JUI-F, JUI-S, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Nazriyati) and other religious parties.

During the protest, Swabi-Mardan, Swabi-Topi and Swabi-Jehangira roads and other linking points remained closed for traffic.

HANGU: The activists of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI) took out a protest rally against the acquittal of Aasia Bibi and threw stones at deputy commissioner’s office, City Police Station and Hangu Press Club.

The protesters walked through various areas and gathered outside the Hangu Press Club where the infuriated protesters pelted stones and broke windowpanes of the club. The Grand Trunk Road remained closed for two hours.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Like other parts of the province, protest rallies against the acquittal of Aasia Bibi were taken out in various places in the district.

CHARSADDA: On the call of the religio-political parties, the residents of various areas took out a protest rally against Aasia Bibi’s acquittal.

The protesters were led by former member National Assembly Maulana Syed Gohar Shah, Maulana Muhammad Sadiq, Sheikhul Quran Maulana Muhammad Idrees, Maulana Muhammad Hashim, Peer Hizbullah Jan Haqqani, Muhammad Riaz Khan, Haq Nawaz Durrani and others, the protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the government.

BANNU: The students of the Government Postgraduate College, Bannu took out a protest rally against the acquittal of Aasia.

The enraged protesting students marched through various areas and gathered outside the Bannu Press Club.

They asked the government and the Supreme Court to reverse the decision or else they would launch a protest campaign.

NOWSHERA: An all parties conference announced to stage a rally against the acquittal of Aasia Bibi today (Friday).

The participants of the conference agreed to stage a rally at Shobra Chowk after Friday prayers. They urged people to participate in the rally.

The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal’s district Secretary General Mufti Hakim Ali, M Rehman of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, and Jamaat-e-Islami’s Samiur Rehman and others spoke on the occasion.

MINGORA: A protest rally was staged here against the acquittal of Aasia Bibi by the Supreme Court.

Led by Ameer JUI-F Matta Maulana Daudul Hassan, Dr Amjad Ali, the protesters were holding placards inscribed with slogans against the government.

The protesters walked through various areas and gathered at Matta Chowk where they formally staged a protest.

KOHAT: The people took out a protest rally and staged a sit-in in Kutchehry Chowk against the acquittal of Aasia Bibi in the blasphemy case. The protesters were carrying banners and placards.

The protesters walked through various areas and gathered at the Kutchehry Chowk where they staged a sit-in.