Supreme Court rejects petition to review acquittal of her blasphemy death sentence.
Today the Supreme Court of Pakistan upheld its decision to acquit Asia Bibi, a Christian woman convicted by a trial court of committing blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad, a crime punishable with death in Pakistan.
Bibi had been incarcerated for eight years until October 31 last year when the Supreme Court rejected her conviction saying that while “blasphemy is a serious offense,” truth tainted with “falsehood” could not be the basis for conviction. A review petition was filed the next day by cleric Muhammad Salaam, claiming dissatisfaction over the decision and demanding the court look at the case again in the light of new facts.
“Based on merit, this petition is dismissed,” stated Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who heard the petition in Islamabad along with Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel.
Akmal Bhatti, a Christian lawyer and chairman of Minorities Alliance Pakistan, attended the hearing and told CT that the judges observed that Salaam’s lawyer, Ghulam Ikram, had failed to present any new facts and was unable to point out any mistake.
“[Ikram] made it a case of religious sentiment, while the judges required their counsel present any legal lacuna in the judgment,” said Bhatti.
“The verdict was given on the basis of testimonies,” Khosa asked Ikram. “Does Islam say that one should be punished even if they are found not guilty?”
Ikram admitted in court that “burden of proof” was on the petitioner. On this, the chief justice asked if he disagreed with the basic legal rule of jurisprudence.
In their final judgment, the judges ruled that the complainant, local cleric Qari Salaam, had not witnessed the incident but ...
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