Aasia Bibi blasphemy case: LHC dismisses appeal against death sentence

Two-judge bench upholds Nov 2010 sessions court’s verdict

LAHORE:

A two-judge bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday upheld the death penalty against Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman who was convicted under blasphemy charges four years ago.

In November 2010, Aasia was sentenced to death by an additional district and sessions judge in Sheikhupura under the same charges.

However, 50-year-old Aasia later challenged the sessions court’s decision in the LHC. She has been in jail since June 19, 2009, when her neighbours in a village near Nankana Sahib accused her of passing derogatory remarks against the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him).

The LHC bench – led by Justice Anwarul Haq – dismissed Aasia’s appeal and upheld the sessions court’s verdict. She, however, can still move an appeal in the Supreme Court.

Counsels for the accused claimed that Aasia was implicated in a false case and that she had not committed any blasphemy. They appealed to the court to repeal the death sentence and acquit her of the charges.

Counsels for the complainant – advocate Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry and advocate Ghulam Mujtaba Chaudhry – however, insist that Aasia Bibi had used offensive language against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and that punishment for this act is only the death sentence.



They said evidence was on record that proved that the accused committed blasphemy. The accused was sentenced to death according to the law and the appeal of the accused may be rejected and the order of the said court relating to her death sentence be sustained, they said.

Aasia’s co-workers went to a local cleric and brought forward blasphemy allegations against her. The case attracted the attention of then Punjab governor Salman Taseer, who visited Bibi in jail and denounced her conviction as well as the blasphemy law.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2014.