Aasia Bibi is in Pakistan, can go wherever she wants: FO

Islamabad (Pakistan Point News – 31st January, 2019) Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal has said that Aasia Bibi is in Pakistan.

In his weekly briefing, the FO spokesperson said that Aasia Bibi can go wherever she wants.

He further said that the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will be very important, adding that the Foreign Office will update about the program.

Dr Faisal said that Pakistan is making border crossing easy for imports and exports. The prime minister’s decision to keep Torkham border open throughout 24 hours is also a step to increase trade.

Aasia Bibi's acquittal

The apex court had on Oct 31, 2018 acquitted Aasia, a Christian woman condemned to death onblasphemy charges, accepting her appeal against sentence.

A three-judge special bench, headed by former Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, announced the reserved judgment.

The 56-page detailed judgement was authored by former Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and included a concurrent opinion by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa.

Asia Bibi had filed appeal in 2014 challenging her death sentence awarded by trial court as well as by high court under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The chief justice penned that it was a "well settled principal of law that the one who makes an assertion has to prove it. Thus, the onus rests on the prosecution to prove guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt throughout the trial. "Presumption of innocence remains throughout the case until such time the prosecution on the evidence satisfies the Court beyond reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of the offence alleged against him", the CJ added.

Where there is any doubt in the prosecution story, benefit should be given to the accused, which is quite consistent with the safe administration of criminal justice" the judgment said.

In Justice Khosa's opinion: "Blasphemy is a serious offence but the insult of the appellant's religion and religious sensibilities by the complainant party and then mixing truth with falsehood in the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was also not short of being blasphemous." He added "for what has been discussed in the case, a conclusion is inescapable and irresistible that the prosecution had failed to prove its case against the appellant beyond reasonable doubt".

The appeal is, therefore, allowed, the conviction and sentence of the appellant recorded and upheld by the courts below, are set aside and she is acquitted of thecharge by extending the benefit of doubt to her, the apex court ruled.

Review Petition

The Supreme Court on Jan 29 dismissed a review petition challenging the acquittal order of Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman who spent eight years behind bars.

A three-member special bench, headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa comprising Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, dismissed the petition after going through the arguments, put forward by the litigants counsels.

The bench observed that Qari Muhammad Salaam, the petitioner, had failed to establish his case and could not point out any mistake in the SC October 31, 2018 order.

The Chief Justice observed that how courts could hang a person without solid or concrete evidence and the verdict had been given on the basis of merits, after going through testimonies, recorded before the court.