Acquittal of Asia Bibi

The motion

That the Parliament welcomes the decision by the Supreme Court of Pakistan to overturn the death sentence of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman convicted of blasphemy in 2010 who has spent most of the last eight years in solitary confinement; understands that the conviction stemmed from an argument Asia Bibi had with a group of women in June 2009 while harvesting fruit, after the women said that they could no longer touch a cup because Asia Bibi’s Christian faith had made it unclean; recognises that Pakistan's blasphemy laws, first codified in 1860 and expanded upon in the 1980s by the military government of General Zia-ul Haq, carry a potential death sentence for anyone who insults Islam; understands that, shortly after Asia Bibi’s conviction in 2008, the Punjab Governor, Salman Taseer, was murdered for speaking out in support of her and calling for Pakistan’s blasphemy laws to be reformed; notes with concern that, even after Asia Bibi is freed, the legacy of this case will continue and Christians living in Pakistan will still be vulnerable to what it considers a climate of intolerance and a legal system that is frequently used to seek revenge after personal disputes; is aware that the Islamist movement, Tehreek-e Labbaik (TLP), had previously vowed to take to the streets if Asia Bibi was released, and that protests broke out in Islamabad and Lahore soon after the ruling was announced, and calls on the Pakistani Government to put an end to the use of blasphemy laws against minority religious groups and journalists critical of the Pakistani religious establishment.

No recorded vote on this motion. Most motions are never debated, and many that are debated are agreed without a division. Vote records are published from 2011.

SNP 17 Con 4 Green 2

Party shown is each supporter’s party when the motion was published.

No contribution in the Official Report cites S5M-14593 by reference.