Christian woman acquitted in blasphemy case likely to have flown out of Pak amid death threats

A Christian woman, who was convicted of blasphemy and acquitted by Pakistan's Supreme Court, was released from a jail in Multan City on Thursday morning and is likely to have flown out of the country as the landmark verdict sparked countrywide protests and death threats from hardline groups.

Asia Bibi, a 47-year-old mother of four, was convicted in 2010 after being accused of insulting Islam in a row with her neighbours. She always maintained her innocence, but has spent most of the past eight years in solitary confinement.

The apex court's judgement, which was pronounced Wednesday, triggered protests across Pakistan with protestors led by Islamic political party Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan and other groups blocking major highways and roads in different parts of the country.

An official of the New Central Jail Multan for Women told PTI that Bibi was released from the jail, about 350 kms from Lahore, in early hours of Thursday after meeting all legal requirements.

"Aasia Bibi was released after we received her release order from the trial court," the official said.

When asked who came to receive her, he said: "Some of her family members and lawyers had come at the jail to receive her."
To a question as when Bibi who was languishing in the Sheikhupra Jail (some 50kms from Lahore) was "secretly" shifted to the women jail in Multan, the official said: "Aasia Bibi was shifted to the Multan jail quite sometimes ago because of her security."