Asia Bibi will be leaving Pakistan 'very soon' - Imran Khan

Asia Bibi was freed from prison but remains in hiding under tight security because of death threats by radicalsWorld Watch Monitor

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has promised that Christian mother Asia Bibi will be leaving the country "very soon".

Pakistan has faced international pressure over delays to Mrs Bibi's departure from Pakistan, where she remains in hiding due to the continued threat to her life five months after being freed from death row for blasphemy. 

Mrs Bibi spent nearly 10 years in prison after being wrongly accused of blasphemy, a crime punishable by death in Pakistan.

She was acquitted of all charges by the Supreme Court last October and her family immediately sought asylum abroad. 

Her daughters are already in Canada where she is expected to join them.  However, her departure has suffered repeated setbacks with little explanation from Pakistan's officials. 

Mr Khan told the BBC that he could not go into the details of the delay but promised that Mrs Bibi would be free to leave the country in a few weeks. 

"There is a little bit of a complication. And I can't speak on the media about [it]," he said. "But I can assure you she is safe and she will be leaving in weeks."

Mrs Bibi's daughter, Eisham Ashiq, has pleaded for her mother's freedom.  She remains in regular contact with her and recently said she was encouraging her to keep her faith in God until she reaches safety. 

"I am missing her so much, I think about her all the time, and I speak to her on the phone all the time. I say to her, 'Have faith in God, because if God can release you from jail, God can release you from where you are now. He will bring you out,'" she told the Daily Mail.

"When she comes, I will hug her and kiss her, and that day will be a very special day when my mummy arrives, and I know I will be very happy, and will thank God before anything else."