Reports say that Asia Bibi’s lawyer, Saif-ul-Mulook, has reportedly fled Pakistan amid fears for his life.
Asia Bibi a Christian farm labourer, and was acquitted of blasphemy on Wednesday. She had spent eight years on death row after she drank from the same cup as a Muslim, prompting false allegations that she insulted the prophet, Muhammad. Asia Bibi was convicted in 2010 of insulting the Prophet Muhammad during a row with neighbours, and many are calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty following her acquittal.
Pakistan’s government has been accused of signing the “death warrant” of Asia Bibi after it said it would begin the process of preventing her from leaving the country., The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) administration has said to sign an agreement with the anti-blasphemy group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), giving in to many of its demands in the face of protests calling for Bibi to be put to death.
Bibi, a mother of five, remains in the same prison where last month two men tried to kill her, although she has been shifted out of her windowless cell.
The TLP has agreed to call off its protests, which saw thousands of Islamists blockade the country’s major motorways, burning cars and lorries and chanting that they were ready to die to protect the honor of the prophet.
Officials have since agreed to bar Bibi from leaving Pakistan in order to end violent protests over the ruling.
Several countries have offered her asylum.
Pakistani Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry defended the government against allegations that a deal reached with an Islamist party was capitulating to extremists.
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