There is little sign among Mohammad Idris' rows of lemon trees that his field once saw an incident which would convulse Pakistan.

The canal-side land outside the village of Ittan Wali in rural Punjab is silent apart from the odd passing cart and the faint chatter of nearby farm labourers.

A decade ago it was an argument among such female labourers that suddenly flared into an accusation of blasphemy and set in train bloody events that are still unresolved.

The accusation against a Christian mother-of-five called Asia Bibi and the death sentence that followed divided Pakistan and prompted religious extremists to assassinate two senior politicians who spoke out for her.

The 54-year-old was in October acquitted on appeal, but remains in protective custody until the ruling has been reviewed. She is widely expected to be freed to flee to the West and claim asylum.

Pakistan's supreme court demolished her conviction saying it was fatally undermined by procedural problems, contradictory testimony from her accusers and an apparently forced confession.