Salman Taseer’s granddaughter raises funds to support family of imprisoned Aasia Bibi

The granddaughter of slain Punjab Governor Salman Taseer is collecting funds for the family of the jailed Aasia Bibi, the woman accused of blasphemy Salman Taseer defended and was murdered over by his own security guard, the infamous Mumtaz Qadri.

Meera Shoaib, the daughter of the former Governor’s daughter Sara Taseer, is operating a crowd funding page for the family of Aasia Bibi on the website generosity. The website works on a platform in which people can set up pages for any private or public cause which needs financing. The page is then shared and spread through the relevant communities which chip in to the cause and help the person or thing in need. As of now, the page for Aasia Bibi has managed to collect $3147 in 3 months from the donations of 34 people. But the Taseer family has only now publicised the effort after their first success in the venture: buying a rickshaw for Aasia’s family so they may be able to sustain themselves.

The rickshaw, according to the official page of the campaign, is only the first step towards helping Aasia and her family who is still jailed in Multan. The campaign argues that Aasia’s family has been finding it impossible to get employed because of the taboo surrounding them and the donations will go a long way in making them sustain themselves.

Meera Shoaib describes the effort as aiming to raise money for the sustenance, legal fees, and jail visitation for the (Aasia) family.” She describes her inspiration to take up the project in the words “For many years, I’ve struggled to find the best way to contribute to the cause my grandfather gave his life for.” Meera goes on to urge people to help the family saying “In Pakistan, even $20 can feed a family for four days. Your contribution, however small, can mean the world to them.”

The generosity page describes the story of Aasia Bibi and the injustice she faced at the hands of the courts and the blasphemy law. It also talks about the struggle of Salman Taseer and what he did to try and help Aasia when she was in the depths of her trouble, and the price she had to pay for it. Meera Shoaib aptly closes the page story with the words “This campaign is to keep alive the legacy my grandfather left. This campaign is for you, Abba.”

Meanwhile, Meera Shoaib’s mother Sara Taseer was also active in promoting her daughters initiative and encouraged people to go out and fund the campaign to help Aasia Bibi’s family. Sharing a picture of the family standing in front of the rickshaw, Sara Taseer tweeted ” With pride and joy I bring you this image of Asia Bibi’s family. With corwd funding, has bought them this rickshaw so family can sustain.”

With pride& joy I bring u this image of Asia BB family.My daughter vid crowd funding has bought them this rikshaw so the family can sustain pic.twitter.com/6wYRW7N9gV

— Sara Taseer (@sarataseer) July 19, 2017