The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan on Friday fixed the hearing of the Aasia Bibi case of blasphemy for October 8, South Punjab News learnt here today
Notices were also issued to the prosecutor General of Punjab and others by the registrar’s office. A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, will hear the case.
Saiful Malook, counsel for the 51-year-old, Asia bibi, a chritian lady told The South Punjab News that the apex court contacted his office and sought three paper books of the case. “We will provide the papers today [Friday],” he said.
In April, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar expressed intent to take up the case of the death-row prisoner. Addressing Malook, he had said: “Your appeal in Aasia Bibi [case] is going to be fixed soon as I myself will preside [over] the bench.”
In June 2009, Aasia was involved in an argument with a group of women. Subsequently, she was accused of blasphemy. In 2010, lower court awarded her capital punishment. In 2014, the Lahore High Court upheld her death sentence. However, the apex court had issued stay order on her execution in July, 2015.
Her case was last heard on October 13, 2017 by a three-judge bench of the top court headed by the incumbent CJP and comprising Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman and Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik.
The hearing was, however, quickly adjourned after Justice Rehman recused himself saying he was the chief justice of the Islamabad High Court when it heard the Salmaan Taseer assassination case.
Taseer, then governor Punjab, was assassinated on January 4, 2011 by his body guard while exiting a cafe in Islamabad’s Kohsar Market. The body guard, Mumtaz Qadri, killed Taseer for his stance on blasphemy law. Qadri was handed death sentence on October 1, 2011. He was executed on February 29, 2016.
