The Chief Justice of Pakistan has announced that he will preside over the case of blasphemy convict Asia Bibi, a year after the hearing was postponed when one of three judges recused himself.
Chief Justice Saqib Nisar had reportedly told Bibi's chief counsel, Saif ul Malook, to prepare for her trial, adding that a hearing date would be announced soon.
"Be ready, Saif ul Malook. I am going to fix your case soon and I myself will preside over the bench," Nisar told the lawyer on April 21, as reported by UCA News.
Wilson Chowdhry, chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA), said that he was encouraged by the new development in Bibi's case.
"The fact that the Chief Justice Saqib Nisar is responsible for the case is encouraging as he recently set up a complaints office for minorities in Lahore Supreme Court and for all intents and purposes seems genuinely committed to helping minority plaintiffs," he said, as reported by Premier.
"However I will reserve my judgement till the trial is complete and Asia is set free. Only freedom for Asia Bibi would convince me of the integrity of his efforts, as any other decision would simply be malicious," he added.
Bibi was sentenced to death to blasphemy by a court in district Nankana in 2010. The blasphemy allegations stem from an incident in 2009 when she reportedly had an argument with her coworkers. She was arrested for allegedly insulting the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, but she claimed that she was punished for attempting to drink water that was meant for Muslims only.
The mother of five filed an appeal with the Supreme Court in July 2015, and the first hearing took place in Oct. 2016. However, the trial was postponed after one of the justices recused himself from the case on the grounds that he had been part of the bench that had heard the murder case of Punjab provincial governor Salman Taseer.
A bodyguard assassinated Taseer in 2011 after he sought a presidential pardon for Bibi. A petition was filed in 2017 for an early hearing on Bibi's case, but it was denied by the apex court, according to Christians in Pakistan.
UCA News reported that Malook appeared before the Supreme Court on April 21 to request police protection for taking on Bibi's case. Malook's security detail was reportedly withdrawn by the Punjab police, but Nisar ordered the department to provide protection for the lawyer again after he made the request.
