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 PM gives 48 hours to draft fuel-saving plan as global oil prices surge
- Government warns against hoarding after sharp fuel price hike amid Middle East tensions
- PM wants provinces to enforce anti-profiteering measures and prevent public exploitation
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked his administration to formulate a strategy for fuel conservation and austerity in government affairs within 48 hours after a sharp rise in global oil prices pushed the country to increase domestic fuel rates, a senior minister said on Saturday.
The directive comes a day after the government raised petrol and diesel prices by Rs55 ($0.20) per liter, citing a surge in international energy prices triggered by escalating conflict in the Middle East after Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran. The situation has rattled global oil markets and threatened key shipping routes.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said Sharif had instructed officials to urgently prepare a practical plan aimed at reducing fuel consumption and promoting austerity across government institutions.
“The prime minister has given 48 hours to formulate an actionable strategy on savings, austerity and simplicity in government affairs,” he said in a social media post on X.
Tarar said Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik had also been tasked with consulting the country’s four provincial chief ministers to coordinate measures against fuel hoarding and ensure strict enforcement of government directives.
He informed the ministers had been asked to ensure that speculation and profiteering in fuel markets were prevented, adding that authorities would take strict action against violators.
“The prime minister has directed that no leniency be shown to elements involved in exploiting the public,” he said, warning that licenses of those petrol pumps violating government orders could be revoked.
Tarar also urged the public not to pay attention to rumors regarding petroleum supplies or pricing, saying the government and relevant ministries would continue to release verified information as the situation evolves.
He said Pakistan was not alone in facing rising energy costs, noting that many countries were grappling with similar pressures due to volatility in global oil markets.
Pakistan relies heavily on imported fuel to meet its energy needs and is particularly vulnerable to global price shocks, which can quickly push up inflation and strain the country’s fragile external accounts.
