May backs ‘blasphemy’ Christian...
But still no offer of UK asylum
THERESA May yesterday pledged to protect Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi – but stopped short of offering her sanctuary.
Speaking for the first time about the case, the Prime Minister said her ‘primary concern’ was the safety of the mother and her family. But Britain has so far refused to grant them asylum, according to their lawyer.
Saif ul Mulook called on Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt ‘to be bold and courageous’ and allow them into Britain.
As the UK drags its heels, talks are under way with Canada to secure a safe future there for Mrs Bibi and her husband and their children. France is believed to be on the brink of making an offer too.
Mrs Bibi, a Christian farm worker from the Punjab, spent eight years on death row in Pakistan convicted of blasphemy following a row with Muslim colleagues over a cup of water.
She was sentenced to death on a charge of insulting the Prophet Mohammed but last month was acquitted on appeal. She is in hiding to avoid being lynched by Islamic extremists.
Britain has been accused of bowing to mob rule by not offering her shelter. Imams, church leaders, MPs and human rights campaigners have all called for her to be welcomed to the UK.
Mrs Bibi’s lawyer, who has fled Pakistan fearing for his life, met MEPs at the European Parliament in Strasbourg yesterday to press the case.
Mr Mulook said: ‘Right now, she is safe, she is being kept secure by the Pakistan armed forces. But she will leave the moment a country offers her a visa.
‘So far, the UK has refused. One of the British MEPs I spoke to here said it was a case of the UK government saying “No, no, no, we have to spend a lot of money, and we’re not ready”. But something must happen soon. My message to Mr Hunt is that he should be bold and courageous and take her and her family to safety.’
A source said: ‘The reason Britain has held back on the visa is that the British consulate in Islamabad is one of our biggest and the Foreign Office fears it would be impossible to guarantee the safety of its hundreds of staff there.’
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Mrs May was asked by Labour backbench MP Mike Kane to prove Britain is a ‘beacon for human rights and those fleeing religious persecution’ by offering Mrs Bibi a visa.
She replied: ‘Our primary concern is for the safety and security of Asia Bibi and her family and we want to see a swift resolution of the situation.
‘A number of countries are in discussion about providing a safe destination for her.’ Mrs Bibi’s husband, Ashiq Masih, and their daughters Esha and Eisham, are in peril, said another source involved in negotiating the family’s safety, adding: ‘There are people in Pakistan who would kill Asia if they could. We need to get her and her family out.’
A planned debate at the European Parliament was cancelled yesterday as negotiations continued behind the scenes. The family source said: ‘It would not have been helpful if the European Parliament had openly debated her case while she is still in such danger. We don’t want anything to inflame tensions.’
Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau said earlier this week his government was in discussion with the Pakistani regime.