Canada says ready to offer asylum to Aasia Bibi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Canada discussed on Monday the issue of the future of Aasia Bibi who was recently set free after her death sentence in a case of blasphemy which saw the Supreme Court overturning her conviction.

The Canadian Foreign Minister, Chrystia Freeland, telephoned her counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi assuring Islamabad that her government is ready to offer asylum to Aasia Bibi. Canada’s offer comes just days after Great Britain stated that it was not willing to offer her asylum because it was a sensitive issue.

After her release from prison, Aasia Bibi was flown to Islamabad and the government says she was lodged in a “safe place” awaiting the decision of an appeal against the Supreme Court verdict. Foreign Minister Qureshi stated that Aasia Bibi is a Pakistani national and the government fully respected her legal rights. “We are in discussions with the Pakistani government,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had said in an interview. “There is a delicate domestic context that we respect which is why I don't want to say any more about that, but I will remind people Canada is a welcoming country,” he said.

Eyebrows were raised in Pakistan over the Canadian offer. With Friday approaching, this could give protestors fresh fuel and also endanger the Canadian Embassy as was earlier the case of the Netherlands Embassy. Aasia Bibi’s lawyer was flown to Netherlands after he won her case in the Supreme Court.

Reports from Britain say the UK government had concerns that Aasia Bibi moving to the UK would cause security concerns and unrest among certain sections of the community and would also be a security threat to British embassies abroad which might be targeted by extremists. Wilson Chowdry of the British Pakistani Christian Association had revealed that Britain has decided not to offer her asylum in the event of her being allowed to travel abroad.

Meanwhile, Qureshi took to Twitter and gave details of his meeting with Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s sister Dr Fauzia Siddiqui during which he assured her of his "full support", adding that he had discussed at length possible ways to ensure the return of Dr Aafia. In a tweet shared on Tuesday, Qureshi said he had asked the Pakistani Consul General in Houston to seek regular consular visits and to "ensure Dr (Aafia) Siddiqui's wellbeing in line with her legal and human rights".

“Met Dr Fauzia Siddiqui today and assured her of my full support. I’ve asked our Counsel General in Houston to seek regular consular visits and ensure Dr Siddiqui’s wellbeing in line with her legal and human rights. Also discussed possible way forward for Dr Aafia’s repatriation” Qureshi tweeted.