ISLAMABAD - Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi yesterday assured his Canadian counterpart Chrystia Freeland that the rights of Christian woman Aasia Bibi – who was acquitted by the Supreme Court in a blasphemy case last month – would be protected.

The foreign ministry said that Chrystia Freeland telephoned Qureshi and “discussed matters of mutual interest besides the issue of Aasia Bibi.”   Qureshi was quoted as saying that “Aasia Bibi is our national and Pakistan fully respects her legal rights.”

This week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had said that his government was in talks with Pakistan to offer asylum to Aasia Bibi. He said that there was a “delicate domestic context” but “we are in discussions with the Pakistani government (for Aasia Bibi’s asylum).”

Aashiq Masih, Aasia Bibi’s husband, has appealed in particular to Canada, Britain and the United States, claiming that her wife’s life would be in danger as long as she lived in Pakistan.

A foreign ministry statement said that the Canadian Foreign Minister “appreciated Supreme Court of Pakistan’s courageous decision in the Aasia Bibi case and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s positive speech.”

This week, Netherlands had temporarily shut its visa, passport and consular services in Islamabad amid security threats. The Netherlands embassy is under threat after the country offered shelter to Christian women Aasia Bibi.  The European state has already provided asylum to Aasia Bibi’s lawyer, Saiful Mulook, who fled Pakistan citing death threats after Bibi was acquitted.

The temporary shutting of the visa service came days after it was reported that the life of Netherlands ambassador Ardi Stoios-Braken was at risk amid the worsening law and order situation in the country, especially due to the agitation movement launched by the Tehrik-e-Labbaik Pakistan after the Supreme Court acquitted Aasia Bibi.

The interior ministry warned that some alleged TLP activists were planning to attack the Dutch envoy in a bid “to seek revenge for uploading of blasphemous caricatures by Greet Wilders, Dutch parliamentarian, on his personal Twitter account.”

Aasia Bibi was acquitted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on October 31 prompting protests across the country. She was released from Multan Jail on November 7 and was moved to an unknown location for the security concerns. However, there was widespread misinformation that she was freed and ‘would depart from the country on a chartered plane to the Netherlands.’

Last week, Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammed Faisal said that Aasia Bibi’s had not travelled abroad so far. He said: “Aasia Bibi is in Pakistan and all the reports circulating on social media regarding her leaving the country are baseless and unfounded.”

Prime Minister Imran Khan had fully backed the Supreme Court’s decision in the Aasia Bibi case and warned protesters against clashing with the state. Later however, the government signed an agreement with the TLP protesters but pledged to take steps to stop Bibi from travelling abroad. Earlier, the United Kingdom refused asylum to Aasia Bibi fearing it would prompt “unrest” in the UK and attacks on embassies.