SC rejects petition against Asia Bibi's acquittal

The Supreme Court (SC) dismissed on Tuesday a review petition filed against the acquittal of Asia Bibi in a blasphemy case.

The SC had admitted the petition by Qari Muhammad Salaam who challenged the acquittal of Bibi and had set the date for today. Salam lives in a village near Nankana Sahib and was the one who had accused Bibi of blasphemy and filed a case against her.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa, comprising Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel took up the petition today. Bibi’s lawyer, Saiful Malook, also appeared before the court. He arrived from Europe earlier to fight his client's case.

During the hearing, Salaam's lawyer Ghulam Ikram presented his arguments before the top court. The lawyer said that that a larger bench should be formed, consisting of Islamic scholars and ulama to hear the review petition.

The CJP dismissed the review petition against the acquittal of Bibi saying that the petitioner had not been able to take out even a single mistake in the acquittal verdict by the SC, local media reported. The chief justice announced, the review petition is dismissed based on merit.

Last year in October, a three-member bench headed by former CJP Saqib Nisar, comprising Judge Asif Saeed Khosa and Judge Mazhar Alam Khan, acquitted Bibi and ordered her release from prison. The judgment read, “She [Asia Bibi] shall be released from the jail forthwith if not required to be detained in connection with any other case.”

A mother of five, Bibi, was on death row since 2010. She was accused of blasphemy during a row over drinking water with women she was working in a field. In October 2014, the Lahore High Court had confirmed Bibi’s death sentence.