Asia Bibi has left Pakistan

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry confirms her departure. She may be bound for Canada.

Lahore (AsiaNews) - Asia Bibi, the Christian woman acquitted of the blasphemy charge and the death sentence imposed on her in 2010, has left Pakistani territory, according to a source from the country's Foreign Ministry. "Asia Bibi has left the country, she is a free woman and has set out on her own journey" said the source, who did not specify the woman's destination.

In recent months rumours from various sources has suggested Asia Bibi would be welcomed in Canada.

Asia Bibi was acquitted of charges of blasphemy on October 31, 2018, after having spent nine years in prison, sentenced to death and awaiting an appeal process that was continually postponed due to fundamentalist groups' pressure and threats on the judges. 

Following the sentence that declared the Christian mother "not guilty", in November  the Islamic radicals of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (Tlp) party set the country on fire and contested her acquittal. To prevent the escalation of violence, the government of Imran Khan came to terms with the demonstrators and agreed to a revision of the Supreme Court verdict. Later, Asia was released but could not leave the country because on that agreement with the radicals. Meanwhile, Canada had already welcomed her daughters.

The case of Asia Bibi has changed direction thanks to the work of the Supreme Court judges Saqib Nisar and Asif Saeed Khan Khosa who illustrated that the accusations and reconstructions of the woman's suspected blasphemy were false.