Multan [Pakistan]: Asia Bibi, the Christian woman who was acquitted by the Pakistan Supreme Court in a blasphemy case last month, has been released from a women’s prison in Multan late on Wednesday.
Quoting sources, the jail administration had received official documents earlier in regards to her release. Asia was then released after the completion of formalities, Geo News reported.
On October 31, mass protests had erupted in various parts of Pakistan after the country’s top court announced its verdict acquitting Asia for blasphemy charges. The demonstrations, led by the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and other religious parties, blocked roads and vandalised public and private property.
A three-judge special bench headed by Justice Nisar, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel had heard Asia’s 2014 appeal against her conviction and death sentence and overturned the ruling in favour of her.
Asia was convicted and sentenced to death in 2010 for allegedly insulting Islam during an argument with three Muslim women.
Even after rejecting reports of putting Asia on the Exit Control List (ECL), the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government reached an agreement with the TLP for taking legal actions to not allow Asia and her family to leave the country. Following the agreement, the protests were called off.
On Monday, around 1,800 people were arrested by law enforcement agencies for indulging in rioting and vandalism. Pakistan’s Interior Ministry had said that the demonstrators were booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]