Pakistan's hard-line Islamists called off nation-crippling protests after striking a deal with the government on the legal future of a Christian woman acquitted of blasphemy.

Supporters of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan party (TLP) had held three days of sit-ins and demonstrations after the Supreme Court of Pakistan overturned mother-of-five Asia Bibi's blasphemy conviction, ending her eight years on death row.

Read more: Islamists block roads in Pakistan over Asia Bibi blasphemy case

What is the deal?

Government ministers and TLP officials confirmed to news outlets they had struck a deal, under which:

protests will end

arrested protesters will be released without charge

the government will not block a review of the ruling

Bibi will be banned from leaving the country

Bibi still behind bars

The regional prison chief told DW that Bibi had not been freed yet because his department had not received the Supreme Court's order directing her release.

"We are awaiting the court's instruction," Shahid Saleem Baig, inspector general of the Punjab Prison Department, told DW.

"Right now, Asia Bibi is in jail and her location can't be disclosed for security reasons amid rabble-rousing by religious zealots demanding the court reverse its verdict."

Read more: Asia Bibi's husband tells DW he fears for wife's safety

Asia Bibi case highlights Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws Leaving 'for Canada' A decade after being accused of blasphemy, Asia Bibi left Pakistan with her husband Ashiq Masih for Canada. A family member told DW that Bibi's two daughters were waiting for her in Calgary. Her departure was delayed six months, reportedly due to extreme pressure from the deep state not to speak out against the state when she leaves the country.

Asia Bibi case highlights Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws A dispute over water In 2009, Asia Bibi was accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad while she was working in a field in Punjab's Sheikhupura district. The Muslim women who were working with Bibi objected to her fetching water, saying that as a non-Muslim she was not allowed to touch the water bowl. The women then complained to a local cleric and leveled blasphemy charges against Bibi.

Asia Bibi case highlights Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws A sensitive matter According to local media, the argument in the field led to a mob attack on Bibi's house. Later, police took Bibi into custody and launched an investigation into the blasphemy accusations. Blasphemy is a sensitive issue in Pakistan, where 97 percent of the population is Muslim.

Asia Bibi case highlights Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws Controversial law The blasphemy law was introduced by General Zia-ul-Haq, a military dictator, in the 1980s. Activists say they are often implemented in cases that have little to do with blasphemy and are used to settle petty disputes and personal vendettas. Christians, Hindus and Ahmadis — a minority Islamic sect — are often victimized as a result.

Asia Bibi case highlights Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws The Pakistani state vs. Bibi In 2010, a lower court convicted Bibi of blasphemy. Although the defense lawyer argued that the blasphemy allegations were made to settle personal scores, the court sentenced Bibi to death by hanging. Bibi's family has been living under constant fear since 2010. Her husband, Ashiq Masih (R), says he has been fighting a battle for his wife's freedom ever since.

Asia Bibi case highlights Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws Assassination of critics In 2010, Salman Taseer (R), the then governor of Punjab province, backed Bibi and demanded amendments in the blasphemy laws. Taseer's anti-blasphemy law position angered extremists. In 2011, Taseer was gunned down by his own bodyguard in Islamabad. The same year, Shahbaz Bhatti, the then minister for minorities and a prominent blasphemy law critic, was also assassinated by unidentified gunmen.

Asia Bibi case highlights Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws Celebration of killings After Taseer's murder, Qadri became a hero for Pakistani Islamists. Qadri was showered with rose petals by right-wing groups as he was taken to jail by the authorities. Qadri was sent to the gallows in 2016. Thousands of people – mostly supporters of Islamic groups – attended Qadri's funeral. Local media reported that Qadri's supporters built a shrine after his death to honor him.

Asia Bibi case highlights Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws Fear in the judicial community After the killings of blasphemy law critics, many lawyers refused to take up Bibi's case in the higher courts. In 2014, the Lahore High Court upheld her death sentence. Pakistan's top court, the Supreme Court, was scheduled to hear Bibi's appeal against the conviction in 2016, but one judge refused to be a part of the judicial bench, citing personal reasons.

Asia Bibi case highlights Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws Victims of blasphemy law According to the American Centre for Law and Justice, at least 40 Pakistanis were sentenced to death on blasphemy charges in 2016. The law is often used to target religious minorities and secular Muslims. Although there hasn't been any legal execution under the blasphemy law, there have been instances where angry mobs have lynched alleged blasphemers.

Asia Bibi case highlights Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws Persecution of religious minorities Pakistan's Christians and other religious minorities complain of legal and social discrimination in their country. In the past few years, many Christians and Hindus have been brutally murdered over unproven blasphemy allegations.

Asia Bibi case highlights Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws Threats from Islamists Religious extremists in Pakistan, particularly the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) group, have warned the authorities against reversing Bibi's blasphemy verdict. The country's Christian minority fears that if the judges decide to reverse the death sentence, they could face a violent backlash from the country's hardline Islamic groups.

Asia Bibi case highlights Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws International support for Bibi Rights groups and Western governments demand a fair trial in Bibi's case. In 2015, Bibi's daughter met with Pope Francis, who offered prayers for her mother at the Vatican. In 2014, Amnesty International dubbed the Lahore High Court's verdict against Bibi a "grave injustice." The American Centre for Law and Justice also condemned Bibi's sentence and urged Islamabad to protect religious minorities. Author: Onkar Singh Janoti



'Not unexpected'

Bibi's lawyer, Saif-ul-Mulook, told the Agence France-Presse news agency that the outcry by Islamists was "unfortunate but not unexpected." However, he criticized the government's inability to stem the violence and disorder, calling the official response "painful."

Mulook has left Pakistan for Europe, saying it was impossible for him to live in the country at present, citing threats to his life.

"I need to stay alive as I still have to fight the legal battle for Asia Bibi," he said.

Why are Islamists angry?

Blasphemy is a serious offense in the Islamic Republic. Bibi was originally sentenced to death for allegedly making derogatory remarks about the prophet Muhammad when a Muslim neighbor objected to her drinking from their glassware as she was not a Muslim.

The Supreme Court overturning her conviction was seen as a capitulation to foreign pressure and an affront to Islamic sensibilities.

Read more: Opinion: Bibi verdict avoids Pakistan's blasphemy problem

What do they want? Protesters want the case reviewed — an often yearslong process — and her eventual public hanging. Despite the lengthy process, however, the court rarely reverses its own rulings.

aw/bw (AFP, AP, Reuters)

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