Protests fizzle out as Aasia Bibi expected to leave country

ISLAMABAD: A call by the Pakistani religious hardliners for protests fell flat on Wednesday as Aasia Bibi, the Christian woman, at the centre of a years-long blasphemy row, was expected to leave the country having cleared the last legal hurdle.

The Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan, which led days of violent mass demonstrations after Bibi was acquitted of blasphemy last year, announced new protests after the Supreme Court upheld her innocence in a fresh ruling on Tuesday. But its leaders remained in detention after a government crackdown several weeks ago, and the police was deployed heavily at the junction between the capital Islamabad and the neighbouring Rawalpindi which the TLP had designated as a protest site, preventing any huge gathering. A mere 20 people demonstrated in Lahore while just eight mobilised in Rawalpindi, despite emotive calls from the TLP that its supporters "cannot compromise on the honour of the Prophet (SAW)".

Aasia was convicted of blasphemy in 2010 and was on death row until her acquittal last year. On Tuesday the Supreme Court threw out a petition seeking a final appeal in the case. "Is this the face of Islam that we want to show to the world?" Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa asked a packed courtroom in Islamabad as he delivered the decision.

Meanwhile, the FO on Wednesday maintained Aasia Bibi has the right to travel anywhere after the SC verdict absolved her from the blasphemy charges. The FO spokesperson, Dr Faisal, said she could travel both inside Pakistan or make a foreign visit. Sources informed Geo News that Bibi was in Pakistan till the filing of the news story. -