LAHORE: Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer on Saturday termed death sentence for Asiya Noreen a ‘disgraceful episode’ and an ’embarrassment to Pakistan’.
Asiya Noreen, a 45-year-old mother of five, has been in prison since last year after some Muslim women, and fellow farm workers, accused her of blasphemy because of an altercation.
She was beaten by a mob of men, after being accused of blaspheming Islam, and later had an FIR filed against her by a local cleric who had been absent at the time she was first accused of blasphemy.
Addressing a press conference at the Sheikhupura District Jail, Taseer said that he had sent a mercy petition to President Asif Ali Zardari on behalf of Asiya and he was certain that the president would sign the petition soon.
“This has nothing to do with religion, in fact it is to do with basic humanity,” he said. “It has become a matter of humour for many to pin down hapless people in cases like these,” Taseer added. “These laws are used to victimise Christians and other groups. They are a foul leftover from the military regime of General Zia-ul-Haq,” Taseer said.
The governor insisted that the sentence would not be carried out since the appeal court still has to decide whether or not to uphold the sentence. Taseer said he was not interfering in matters of the court or with the decision of death penalty made by the court.
Federal Minorities Minister Shabbaz Bhatti said the protection of the lives and property of members of minority groups is a constitutional obligation of the government. In a recent letter to the Punjab government, he had asked for Asiya to be provided with every opportunity to plead her case on merit at the appeal court and that she and her family be protected whilst she was in jail.
