ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Supreme Court will on Tuesday begin a review of its own acquittal of a Christian woman charged with blasphemy, a verdict that sparked days of Islamist protests and threats and chaos across the country.
Asia Bibi, who spent eight years on death row, has been in hiding since the Supreme Court freed her in October, with religious hard-liners calling for her death and putting pressure on the government to prevent her from leaving the country.
Most reviews of Supreme Court verdicts are dismissed immediately, but the politically sensitive nature of the case has added an extra layer of uncertainty.
A three-judge panel, including the new Supreme Court Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, are due to hear the case.
Bibi’s lawyer, Saif-ul-Malook, who fled to Europe due to fears for his safety last year, told Reuters he expected the case to be dismissed.
“They have filed the petition on flimsy grounds. They haven’t attempted to counter her release on constitutional grounds,” said Malook, who returned to Pakistan this week and will represent Bibi in court.
“God willing, she will have the decision in her favor tomorrow. She will be a free person to go anywhere she wants to.”
Bibi is widely expected to seek asylum abroad due to safety concerns, with Canada among the favorites to accept her. In November, Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau said his country was in talks with Pakistan about helping Bibi.
Bibi, a farm worker, was condemned in 2010 over allegations that she made derogatory remarks about Islam after neighbors working in the fields with her objected to her drinking water from their glass because she was not Muslim. She has always denied committing blasphemy.
Leaders of the ultra-Islamist Tehreek-e-Labaik (TLP) group blocked main roads in Pakistan’s biggest cites for three days after Bibi’s acquittal, calling for the murder of the Supreme Court judges who freed her and urging their cooks and servants to kill them.
The TLP called off the protests after striking a deal with the government that would see authorities seek to put Bibi on an “exit control list” barring her from leaving the country. The government later cracked down on TLP members, detaining more than 3,000 activists and pressing terrorism charges against the group’s leaders.
Bibi’s case has outraged Christians worldwide and reignited a debate about Pakistan’s draconian blasphemy law, which critics say is often abused and unfairly targets ethnic minorities.
“No one should be able to intimidate the Supreme Court into reversing a long-overdue ruling. Asia Bibi has been found to be innocent,” said Omar Waraich, deputy South Asia director for Amnesty International.
“She should now finally be free to be reunited with her family and leave the country if she chooses.”
Pakistan Supreme Court to review Asia Bibi’s blasphemy acquittal
Pakistan Supreme Court to review Asia Bibi’s blasphemy acquittal
- Asia Bibi has been in hiding since the Supreme Court freed her in October
- A three-judge panel, including the new Supreme Court Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, are due to hear the case tomorrow
Pakistan consumer confidence rises by 4 percentage points in two years, survey shows
- Four in 10 Pakistanis believed the country is on the right track, with optimism higher among men
- Economic concerns remained most worrying, but their quantum fell drastically across all issues
ISLAMABAD: Consumer confidence in Pakistan has risen by 4 percentage points from 31.5 to 35.5 over the last two years, which highlights improving public optimism under the government’s tenure, Ipsos market research firm said in a recent survey.
The survey was conducted through computer-assisted telephonic interviews (CATI) and included more than a thousand participants from all provinces and Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan regions on Feb. 2-14.
It comes at a time when Pakistan has undergone a difficult period of stabilization, though international rating agencies have acknowledged improvements after Islamabad began implementing structural reforms as part of its $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.
The Ipsos survey revealed a “measurable” improvement in Pakistan’s economic sentiment, marked by a decline in inflation alongside notable reductions in poverty and unemployment, since the current government took charge two years ago.
“These findings point to a clear two-year transformation in the Consumer Confidence Index, demonstrating the perceived impact of consistent governance and policy measures,” read the key takeout in the survey.
“Sustained performance, coupled with transparent communication of achievements, will be essential to maintain momentum, reinforce optimism, and support further improvements in economic confidence.”
Four in 10 Pakistanis believed the country is on the right track, with optimism higher among men, while confidence in the country’s direction being right increased more than three times, from 12 percent to 40 percent, since the government came to power, according to the survey.
Economic concerns remained most worrying, but their quantum fell drastically across all issues since the first quarter of 2024. Inflation has dropped by 23 percent, unemployment by 10 percent, poverty by 20 percent, electricity prices by 34 percent and the burden of additional taxes was reduced by 18 percent in Q1 2026 as compared to Q1 2024.
“One in 3 Pakistanis expect the economy to strengthen,” the survey read. “Confidence to invest has grown steadily over two years, rising from 11 percent to 16 percent, with even stronger optimism among urban residents.”
