Activists from the Pakistani religious party Sunni Threek protest the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the acquittal of Aasia Bibi, in Lahore, Pakistan, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. A radical Islamic party has asked its followers to hold nationwide protests Friday against the Supreme Court's recent decision of acquitting Bibi, a Christian woman, who spent eight precious years of her life on death row after being convicted in a controversial blasphemy case. Banner reads, "Muslims are disappointed." (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudhry)
Republished January 30, 2019 - 11:14 AM
Original Publication Date January 30, 2019 - 6:36 AM
ISLAMABAD - A radical Islamist party in Pakistan says it has called on its followers to hold nationwide protests over the weekend after the country's top court this week upheld the acquittal of Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman who spent eight years on death row after being convicted for blasphemy. Mohammad Shafiq Amini, the Tehreek-e-Labbaik party acting head, is urging transport operators to stay off the roads on Friday and join their protest. He says police arrested hundreds of the party's supporters following Tuesday's refusal to re-examine Bibi's Oct. 31 acquittal. Bibi, who is in hiding at an undisclosed location, wants to join her daughters abroad but there is no word when that might happen. Her ordeal began in 2009, when she was sentenced to death, charged with insulting Islam's Prophet Mohammed.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019