US group welcomes SC verdict in Aasia case

WASHINGTON: The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomed the Supreme Court decision to overturn the death sentence handed down in 2010 against Aasia Bibi.

The USCIRF in its official statement issued here also demanded the government of Pakistan to release the 40 individuals imprisoned on blasphemy charges.

USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee said, “The case of Aasia Bibi illustrates the extent to which blasphemy laws can be exploited to target minority communities. It is deeply troubling that Bibi’s case even reached this level, where she almost became the first person in Pakistan’s history to be executed for the crime of blasphemy.”

In anticipation of the likelihood of an outbreak of social unrest following this decision, USCIRF urges Pakistani authorities to ensure Aasia Bibi’s safety upon her release.

Every year since 2002, USCIRF has recommended that Pakistan be designated as a “country of particular concern” for “ongoing, systematic, egregious violations of religious freedom.” USCIRF has also called for the use of tools such as the denial of visas and the freezing of assets against specific individuals who have participated in or have been responsible for severe violations of religious freedom.