‘Pakistani government responsible for failures in Aasia Bibi case’

Aasia Bibi’s lawyer believes that the Pakistani government’s failures are responsible for her predicament.

He said that it has failed to uphold numerous legal requirements in the case her.

Saiful Malook claims that Pakistani officials been influenced by religious extremists who want Christian Bibi to be killed for her alleged crime.

He told Asia News: “”The authorities must put aside religious sentiments and verify the facts, first. However, they are subject to the influence of religious fundamentalists and do not stop the militants from attacking those accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad, or setting fire to their homes.

“Blasphemy is within the hudud (crimes against God), but none of the judges asked if the State in person or an authorized officer have filed a complaint of blasphemy against Asia. Sharia (Islamic law) says that the accused must confess their crime and all testimonies verified before the trial. All these requirements have been ignored”.

Aasia was sentenced to death for blasphemy in 2010, but last month the Supreme Court of Pakistan granted a temporary stay of her execution, saying that it needed to ensure the justice had been administered fairly.

However, as a result of being Muslim, Malook has also been targeted by religious fundamentalists for working on behalf of a Christian.

Christians are continuously being falsely accused of blasphemy by Muslims in order to settle personal scores of seize land and property.

It is the responsibility of Pakistani officials to judge each case on its merit and not be influenced by influential Islamists.

They should also be punishing those who make false allegations under the blasphemy law, rather than allowing them to abuse the law with impunity.