MMA chief says Asiya Bibi released under deal with West

Mutahidda Majlis-i-Amal's (MMA) president Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday alleged that the Imran Khan-led Pakistan government has released Asiya Bibi under a deal with the West.

Addressing a protest rally, 'Million March', Rehman backed his allegation saying: "If Asiya's release is only a legal decision, why is there a flood of personal praises directed at the Chief justice of Pakistan(CJP) and Imran Khan? It only proves that the decision was taken under a deal, which is now being praised in the West."

The march was called by All (religious) Parties Tahafuz-i-Namoos-i-Risalat to mark the protest against the acquittal of Asiya, Dawn reported.

Rehman further accused the Imran Khan's government of conspiring to alter the blasphemy law and setting the blasphemers free.

"I have been arguing since long that Khan is a Jew representative and has been anointed by the West to play its proxy. Now he has been brought to power only to play games of his masters and hurt the Ummah (community)," Dawn reported Rehman as saying.

He further said that the protests would continue until the government mends its ways. and announced that the next protest on the issue would be held on November 25 at Sukkur.

On October 31, mass protests had erupted in various parts of Pakistan after the country's top court acquitted Asiya of blasphemy charges.

A three-judge special bench headed by Justice Nisar, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel had heard Asiya's 2014 appeal against her conviction and death sentence and overturned the ruling in favour of her.

She was convicted and sentenced to death in 2010 for allegedly insulting Islam during an argument with three Muslim women.