ISLAMABAD - Pakistan People’s Party Chief Bilawal Bhutto Wednesday supported the Supreme Court’s judgment to acquit Christian woman Aasia Bibi in a blasphemy case.
“The Supreme Court is our national institution. All other institutions, including the National Assembly, should stand with the Supreme Court,” he said in a statement.
He added: “We cannot run the country from the streets. We can run this country according to the Constitution and law.”
PPP’s Senator Sherry Rehman and Farhatullah Babar also welcomed the judgment.
Separately, Chairman of the Senate’s Functional Committee on Human Rights, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, said that the top court has given a landmark judgment in Aasia Bibi’s case despite threats.
“It is indeed remarkable and we stand by the Supreme Court. The state must not abrogate its responsibility and must not bow down before extremist forces. Aasia Bibi’s case is a clear example of how extremist forces misuse the name of Islam,” the PPP Senator said.
He added: “If we want to save Pakistan from going down the path of bigotry, we must stop the misuse of religion. Today, Aasia Bibi is free because justice was dispensed wisely and without any fear.
This should be the practice in all such cases. Innocent people should not suffer incarcerations due to a fear of backlash.”
Bibi was convicted and sentenced to hang by a trial court in 2010. In, 2014, Lahore High Court had upheld the verdict.
Counsel for Aasia, Saiful Malook, said her client got justice in the end and the case has been proven false. He also thanked the chief justice and Justice Asif Saeed Khosa.
Security was increased across the federal capital as the apex court announced the verdict in the case. The top court had reserved verdict on the accused plea against the conviction on October 8.