News Desk |
Jemima Goldsmith, the former wife of Prime Minister Imran Khan slammed the government of Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf for surrendering to the protestors demand to stop Asia Bibi from leaving the country.
In a tweet posted on Sunday, Jemima expressed her displeasure over government giving in to the hardliners just three days after Prime Minister Khan delivered a brave and defiant speech warning the protestors of serious consequences for challenging the writ of the state and propagating against the judiciary, army, and the government of Pakistan.
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Jemima Goldsmith expressing her remorse in the tweet stated that “Not the Naya Pakistan we’d hoped for. 3 days after a defiant & brave speech defending the judiciary, Pakistan’s gov caves into extremist demands to bar #AsiaBibi from leaving Pak, after she was acquitted of blasphemy- effectively signing her death warrant.” In another tweet, she added, “Still hoping there’s some plan afoot which we don’t know about.”
Not the Naya Pakistan we’d hoped for. 3 days after a defiant & brave speech defending the judiciary, Pakistan’s gov caves in to extremist demands to bar #AsiaBibi from leaving Pak, after she was acquitted of blasphemy- effectively signing her death warrant https://t.co/YwUpRM8cnu
— Jemima Goldsmith (@Jemima_Khan) November 3, 2018
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Pakistan acquitted the Christian labourer Asia in the blasphemy case that lingered for over eight years. She was awarded death sentence in the case from the lower court. The verdict was challenged in the apex court. The apex court, after the review, set aside the death sentence and ordered for the release of Asia.
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Asia Bibi was booked in the blasphemy case in 2009 after she had a verbal argument with the two Muslim women from drinking water from the same cup of Muslim women. The Muslim women then accused Asia, the mother of five, for insulting the Prophet Muhammad. She was charged under Pakistan’s strict blasphemy law which carries death as punishment.
The decision of apex court did not go well with the religious hardliner who immediately took to the streets and staged the violent protest across the country that involved the ablaze of transports, shops, and the state property.
The government of Pakistan averted the use of force to disperse the protestors and resorted to negotiations with the leaders of Tehreek-I-Labbaik Pakistan.