ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani Christian woman who was exonerated in a blasphemy case after spending eight years on death row and set free by the Supreme Court on Tuesday is all set to fly to Canada to join her two daughters there, her lawyer said on Wednesday.
The apex court upheld the October acquittal of Aasia Bibi, 54, in a landmark blasphemy case, clearing the final legal obstacle in her path to freedom and allowing her to seek asylum in a country of her choice.
“She will fly to Canada very soon to join her daughters who are already there. Yes, Canada has offered them the asylum,” Saiful Malook, who pleaded Bibi’s case in the court, told Arab News on Wednesday.
Bibi’s two daughters were secretly flown out to Canada earlier this month after accepting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's offer for asylum.
In November last year, Trudeau said that his government was engaging with Pakistani authorities over Bibi's case. “We are in discussions with the Pakistani government,” he said.
“There is a delicate domestic context that we respect which is why I don’t want to say any more about that, but I will remind people that Canada is a welcoming country,” Trudeau said.
Shortly after the dismissal of a review petition -- which had sought that a death sentence awarded by a lower court to Bibi be upheld -- dozens of activists of the ultra-Islamist Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party held protests in different cities of the country, including Karachi, Hyderabad, and Lahore.
They demanded that the government must “hang Aasia Bibi for defaming Prophet Muhammad [PBUH].” The law enforcement agencies, however, moved quickly and arrested scores of protesters to restore law and order.
Aasia Bibi to join her daughters in Canada “very soon” – lawyer
Aasia Bibi to join her daughters in Canada “very soon” – lawyer
- Duo had flown to Ottawa earlier this month
- Country has offered asylum to Pakistani Christian woman and her family
’Ugly’ England aim to spin their way to World Cup semis ahead of Pakistan clash
- England stuttered with the bat, finishing at 146-9 in their Super Eight clash against Sri Lanka last week
- A win over Pakistan today will be enough to see the 2010 and 2022 T20 World Cup champions into semis
SRI LANKA: England are yet to catch fire at the T20 World Cup, but they won’t mind one bit if another “ugly” win secures Harry Brook’s side a semifinal berth with a game to spare.
England bowled out Sri Lanka for 95 on Sunday to open their Super Eights campaign with a 51-run win.
With the Pakistan-New Zealand clash on Saturday being washed out, a win against Pakistan on Tuesday at the same stadium will be enough to see the 2010 and 2022 T20 World Cup champions into the last four.
England again stuttered with the bat and were restricted to 146-9 by Sri Lanka on Sunday.
“We know that we can play a lot better,” all-rounder Liam Dawson told reporters after the win, in comments only made public on Monday.
“But at the end of the day in tournament cricket, you just need to get the win, however ugly.”
England’s bowlers came to the rescue for the third time in the tournament, after also defending below-par totals against Nepal and Italy.
“The fight we’ve shown with the ball shows that this team is in a very good place,” said Dawson.
Pakistan possess a dangerous spin attack, featuring a unique weapon in Usman Tariq and his pronounced pause before he releases the ball.
But Dawson said England would fight fire with fire with their own potent slow-bowling arsenal.
England captain Brook also has speedster Jofra Archer, the hit-the-deck-hard Jamie Overton and left-arm swing bowler Sam Curran as the seam options.
England’s flexibility enabled Will Jacks to open the bowling with his off-spin on Sunday and destroy Sri Lanka’s top order.
He returned figures of 3-22 in tandem with Archer, who removed both opening batsmen, to leave Sri Lanka in tatters at 34-5 at the end of the six-over power play.
England’s variety offers Brook endless options, said Dawson who bowls left-arm spin, as does Jacob Bethell.
“We’re all very different types of spinners. Jacksy gets very good over-spin, very good bounce.
“Dilly (wrist spinner Adil Rashid) has all these variations and me, I’m probably more of a defensive spinner and that’s my role. I’m just trying to be consistent for the captain.
“Adil can use all of his tricks and he comes on to get wickets and get us back in games or put us ahead in games.
“Obviously, Jacks, he’s been brilliant. He’s exploited conditions here very well.
“And I think the way Brookie captained today was phenomenal, how he used us all differently.”
But Dawson cautioned that the wicket on Tuesday night could play very differently to the tacky slow track they encountered on Sunday, which had sweated under covers after days of rain in Kandy.
“Obviously, a different challenge on Tuesday at a night game. It could be a better wicket. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
