Asia Bibi Case Judgment in English

This is our second versioned application containing Final verdict of Supreme Court of Pakistan in English Language, about the Asia Bibi Blasphemy Case.

The Asia Bibi blasphemy case involves Pakistani Christian woman Aasiya Noreen, born c. 1971 commonly known as آسیہ بی بی‬ Āsia Bibī, who was convicted of blasphemy by a Pakistani court and was sentenced to death by hanging in 2010. In 31st October 2018, the Supreme Court of Pakistan acquitted her based on insufficient evidence.

On 8 October 2018, a three-judge bench headed by CJP Mian Saqib Nisar, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and Justice Mazhar Alam reserved its judgement on the final legal appeal. On 31 October 2018, the Supreme Court in a 56-page detailed judgement authored by CJP Nisar, with a separate concurrent opinion note from Justice Khosa, acquitted Asia Bibi of blasphemy charges after accepting her 2015 appeal against her sentence. The court also ruled that "she was free to go, if not wanted in connection with any other case". In his verdict, Judge Asif Saeed Khan Khosa noted.

The statements made by Muhammad Idrees (CW1) and Muhammad Amin Bukhari, SP (Investigation) (PW6) before the trial court revealed that the alleged blasphemy had been committed by the Christian appellant after her Muslim co-workers had insulted the appellant’s religion and had injured her religious sensibilities only because she believed in and was a follower of Jesus Christ. According to the Holy Qur’an a Muslim’s faith is not complete till he believes in all the Holy Prophets and Messengers of Almighty Allah including Jesus Christ (Isa son of Maryam) (Peace Be Upon Him) and all the revealed Holy Books of Almighty Allah including the Holy Bible. From that perspective insulting the appellant’s religion by her Muslim co-workers was no less blasphemous. — Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Senior Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The final judgment said that one of Noreen's accusers violated the Ashtiname of Muhammad, a "covenant made by Muhammad with Christians in the seventh century but still valid today". Judge Khosa also stated that the two women who made accusations against Noreen “had no regard for the truth” and that the claim that she blasphemed Muhammad in public was a “concoction incarnate”. The Supreme Court of Pakistan's ruling cited “material contradictions and inconsistent statements of the witnesses” that “cast a shadow of doubt on the prosecution’s version of facts.”

Asia Noreen was reading the Christian Bible when she heard the news, upon which exclaimed "I can't believe what I am hearing, will I go out now? Will they let me out, really? ... I just don't know what to say, I am very happy, I can't believe it." Noreen's daughter Eisham Ashiq, said that the news of the acquittal was “the most wonderful moment in my life ... I want to hug my mother and then celebrate with my family. I am grateful to God for listening to our prayers.”

Disclaimer:

We are not here in support or against any judgment, we only sharing Court’s Judgment for information.