Court Prevents Pakistan's President From Pardoning Christian Woman
Washington -- International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that today a court in Pakistan told the president of the country that he could not grant pardon to the Christian woman who has been sentenced to death for 'blasphemy' against Muhammad. The Lahore High Court issued the order after lawyers argued that the president can not issue the pardon before Asia Bibi's appeal to the High Court is decided. Bibi had appealed to the High Court for the reversal of her death sentence, but the court has yet to set a date for the hearing of her appeal. In a statement to ICC, Pakistan's Minister for Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti said that President Asif Ali Zardari has pledged to intervene if the High Court unnecessarily delayed in deciding Bibi's case. The president also asked Bhatti to investigate Bibi's case and Bhatti found her to be innocent. Bhatti added that the under Article 45 of the country's constitution, the president of Pakistan has authority to free convicts. The article states that: "the President shall have power to grant pardon, reprieve and respite, and to remit, suspend or commute any sentence passed by any court, tribunal or other authority." Meanwhile, fundamentalist Muslims have stepped up their threats against the Pakistani officials, warning that there will be anarchy if Bibi is pardoned. Pakistan's blasphemy laws stipulate that defaming the Islamic prophet Muhammad is punishable by death or life imprisonment. Muslim radicals have used the law to repeatedly incite violence against Christians, other religious minorities and even Muslims. In August 2009, a Muslim mob killed 11 Christians following a false allegation of the desecration of the Qur'an in Gorja, Pakistan. According to the State Department's report on International Religious Freedom, 25 Ahmadis and 17 Muslims were arrested in 2008 alone for allegedly violating the blasphemy laws. ICC's Regional Manager for South Asia, Jonathan Racho, said "We are deeply saddened by the plight of Bibi and her family. It's disturbing that Muslim radicals are using the legal system in Pakistan to delay the release of Bibi. We urge Pakistan to immediately release Bibi and repeal the blasphemy laws that are causing persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan."