- Title: Activists urge Pakistani PM not to "cow down" over blasphemy case
- Date: 7th November 2018
- Summary: KARACHI, PAKISTAN (NOVEMBER 7, 2018) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST HOLDING UP PLACARD, READING (English): "I stand with the Supreme Court verdict on Asia Bibi, People's Resistance #BANTLP" ACTIVISTS HOLDING PLACARDS SUPPORTING DECISION OF SUPREME COURT TO ACQUIT CHRISTIAN WOMAN ASIA BIBI OF CHARGES OF BLASPHEMY HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS ADDRESSING NEWS CONFERENCE HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS HOLDING UP PLACARD, READING (English): "I stand with the Supreme Court verdict on Asia Bibi, People's Resistance #BANTLP" FEMALE ACTIVIST TALKING / MORE ACTIVISTS HOLDING PLACARD STANDING BEHIND HER ACTIVISTS HOLDING PLACARD THAT READS (English): "PEOPLES' RESISTANCE - WE STAND AGAINST VIOLENT POLITICS #JUSTICEFORASIABIBI" (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST, JIBRAN NASIR, SAYING: "The entire Pakistani nation should give the message that when the review petition (of Asia Bibi's case) is being heard, the whole nation will stand behind the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court should base its judgement only on the testimony before it, the witnesses before it, the relevant law, and the constitution. The Supreme Court should not have to give a verdict based on what will happen in the streets, the alleys, and the markets (in the aftermath of the court decision). The Court's duty is to announce judgements according to the law, inside the four walls of the court. The Government should not place this additional burden on the Supreme Court. The Government should fulfil its own responsibilities." ACTIVISTS LISTENING TO NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST, JIBRAN NASIR, SAYING: "This is a war between right and wrong, and we are standing with the right. Pakistan's entire nation, all segments of Pakistani society, need to stand with the right. This is a question of our collective future, a question of our collective peace." ACTIVISTS LISTENING TO NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST, JIBRAN NASIR, SAYING: "We, once again, appeal to Imran Khan, and give him the message that: Sir, as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, we have been greatly disappointed and hurt by the decision you made a few days ago. But since you are still our elected prime minister, we still look towards you, and we want to give you the message that you should not be cowed down. You have to take the nation along with you, you have to build consensus. The opposition is with you. You have to, once and for all, establish the writ of the state, and reach the culmination of this case. We have to turn Afzal Qazi and Khadim Rizvi of the Tehreek Labaik (TLP) into examples of scorn, not into heroes. We have to discredit them, we have to expose them." ACTIVISTS HOLDING PLACARD, READING (Urdu): "WE WELCOME THE DECISION OF THE SUPREME COURT" ACTIVIST HOLDING PLACARD, READING (English): "NO TO EXTREMISM! NO TO VIOLENCE! STAND WITH JUSTICE!!!"
- Embargoed: 21st November 2018 17:10
- Keywords: Christian woman accused of blasphemy Asia Bibi blasphemy Pakistan Bibi court case Imran Khan Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistani Supreme Court
- Location: KARACHI, PAKISTAN
- City: KARACHI, PAKISTAN
- Country: Pakistan
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00195IBGW7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Human rights activists in Pakistan gathered on Wednesday (November 7) to support the acquittal of a Christian woman accused of blasphemy and called on Prime Minister Imran Khan to establish the writ of the state.
At the Press Club in Karachi, human rights activists, lawyers, and civil society members asked the nation to stand behind the Supreme Court decision and appealed to Khan to "build consensus" and to not be "cowed down".
Last week, the court freed Asia Bibi from a death sentence for blasphemy against Islam and overturned her conviction, sparking angry protests and death threats from ultra-religious party Tehreek-e-Labaik (TLP).
Bibi, a mother of four, has been living on death row since 2010 when she became the first woman to be sentenced to death by hanging under Pakistan's draconian blasphemy laws, which critics say are too harsh and often misused.
TLP held protests for three days before striking a deal with the government, who agreed to try and bar Asia Bibi from leaving the country and allowed a review of the case. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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