Images are unavailable offline. Pakistani lawyer Saif-ul-Mulook, centre, escorted by the police, arrives to give a press conference on Nov. 5, 2018 after fleeing Pakistan earlier in the week due to threats following his latest victory in court during which he defended a Christian woman convicted of blasphemy. JOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images

The Canadian government has announced that it is engaged in “discreet and delicate discussions” to deal with an asylum request by the family of Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman who was recently acquitted after spending eight years on death row on charges of blasphemy.

Ms. Bibi was convicted of blasphemy in Pakistan in 2010 for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Islam after neighbours objected to her drinking water from their glass because she was not Muslim. She always denied having committed blasphemy, but her acquittal last week sparked mass protests in Pakistan.

Her husband, Ashiq Masih, recently called for the assistance of Canada, the United States or Britain to ensure the family’s security.

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On Monday, Liberal MP Andrew Leslie, who is the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that Canada is quietly looking for a solution to the matter.

“With like-minded friends and allies, there are discreet and delicate discussions under way and I will not say anything further at this time,” he said.

Mr. Leslie added that Pakistan should reform its blasphemy laws.

“The right of freedom of religion or belief must and shall be protected," Mr. Leslie said. “We urge the government of Pakistan to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of Asia Bibi and her family. We continue to urge the government and the people of Pakistan to reform the application of blasphemy laws to prevent the targeting of religious minorities."

The Official Opposition in Ottawa is putting pressure on Canada to offer asylum to Ms. Bibi and her family.

“We are excited about her acquittal, but she and her family remain in grave danger," Conservative MP Garnett Genuis said in the House of Commons. "Ministerial permits have been used in the past to help vulnerable victims of false blasphemy charges in Pakistan.”

The ultraright Tehreek-e-Labaik (TLP) party reacted forcefully to Ms. Bibi’s acquittal last week, blocking major roads in Pakistan’s biggest cities for three days and calling for the murder of the Supreme Court judges who acquitted her.

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Late on Friday, the TLP called off the protests after striking a deal with the government that could see authorities seek to put Ms. Bibi on an “exit control list” barring her from leaving the country and open a review of the verdict in the courts.

Mr. Masih, her husband, appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as British Prime Minister Theresa May and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to help his family leave Pakistan.