Women Right

Background of the Case

Aasiya Bibi (48) (originally Aasiya Noreen) wife of Ashiq Masih is Catholic Christian by faith and a mother of five was a resident of Ittanwali village, Nankana Sahib, District Sheikhupura and now known as (District Nankana Sahib). She was a farm laborer and was falsely implicated in a blasphemy case and blamed for disrespecting the name of Prophet Mohammad. The blasphemy allegations arose on June 14, 2009 after a conversation at berry’s garden (workplace) in between Aasiya Bibi and two of her co-farm Muslim women laborers over the drinking of water in the same glass that was only meant for use of Muslims but later the conversation turned into scuffle and afterwards she was accused of blasphemy. On June 19, 2009 after five days of clash Aasiya Bibi was blamed for blasphemy and she was inhumanly beaten-up, degraded and humiliated by her native villagers and the Muslim residents of surrounding villages. Later, the police arrested victim Aasiya Bibi and a lodged blasphemy case FIR No. 326/09 offence under section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) against her and on the same evening she was sent to the District Jail Sheikhupura. Later on November 08, 2010 Mr. Naveed Iqbal (Additional Sessions Judge, Nankana Sahib) convicted Aasiya Bibi for passing derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad and sentenced her to death by hanging and imposed a fine of three thousands Pak rupees 300,000/- (US$ 2860 approximately). During imprisonment victim Aasiya Bibi has suffered tremendously and in many ways threatened and tortured and still suffering through serious threats of life, ill-treated and tortured heartlessly by the fellow inmates and the jail authorities.

Somewhere in June 2013 she was all of sudden shifted from District Jail Sheikhupura to Women Jail Multan and at present is confined in a small cell and in the solitary confinement. The unexpected shifting of Aasiya Bibi shocks her husband Ashiq Masih and the children especially her Down syndrome daughter Eesha 13, who badly need a person for help because she is unable to even eat herself and he also worried about the younger Eisham 12 too. The family expressed their serious concerns over the shifting of Aasiya Bibi and stated about their difficulties about jail visitation that it was easy for the family to visit her in Sheikhupura jail. The Women Jail Multan is far and the aggrieved family is helpless especially for her Down syndrome daughter to visit Multan, which is far from District Lahore. The blasphemy accusations left so many problems for the victim family as they are affected so badly. At present her husband Ashiq Masih is taking care of her two daughters Eesha and Eisham. It is not easy for him to look after but time to time his elder daughters are visiting and looking after for day to day needs as well as the needs of her Down syndrome daughter. Her husband Ashiq Masih has also life threats and is under fear and unable to work and resultantly facing serious financial hardships.

Security threats:

As the blasphemy case of Aasiya Bibi has already attained international attention and media hype and the case is also on the critical stage. The expected security threats are also visible which cannot be ignored as the religious extremists keep watching on the blasphemy matter deeply. The Islamic extremists time and again propagating on blasphemy issue by staging protest demonstration surrounding the Lahore High Court as well as using premises of the courts for condemnation and times they mention Governor Salman Taseer who was assassinated by his own bodyguard for supporting Aasia Bibi. These threats are to the judges and lawyers who represent the blasphemy victims. And this makes the dispensation of justice difficult.

Keeping in view the situation the right time has come to seriously defend Aasiya Bibi in the court properly and effectively. The blasphemy case of Aasiya Bibi is not an easy task. It requires much attention, commitment and dedication and immediately needs a team of professional, competent and brave lawyers to defend her case in the court such as SAIF-UL-MALOOK (ADVOCATE SUPREME COURT OF PAKISTAN) who courageously fight against the Murder case of Governor Salman Taseer who was assassinated by his own bodyguard for supporting Aasia Bibi and he succeeded whereas nobody was willing and allowed by the extremists to attend his funeral in this Islamic state. Only he was stand against even extremists and win the case and Mumtaiz Qadri is in the jail with death plenty.

President legal Position:

Divisional bench two judges of the Lahore High Court dismissed the appeal of Aasiya Bibi on October 16, 2014.

Lack of Resources:

Due to the lack of resources the case was submitted in Lahore Supreme Court by our lawyer Saif-Ul-Malook.

We submitted two applications for early hearing in supreme Court but both are rejected in Lahore no chance for the turn of Aasiya Bibi’s case.

28.01.2015 resubmitted petition for leave grant (What is leave grant, we submit an application in supreme Court LAHORE Registry where they will read the case and see if honorable High Court had unable to give justice then the Honorable Judges grants to re-investigation of the case and re-investigation would set her free by His Grace.

22.07.2015 our application was accepted and honorable Supreme Court suspended Asia Bibi’s death sentence.

Legal Suggestion:

Our Legal council decided to forward this case of Aasiya Bibi to the Supreme Court of Pakistan in Islamabad because in the Capital the Judges are available all the time.

13.08.2016 we submitted another petition for early hearing and it was accepted to fix it on 13.10.2016 but unfortunately one of the three-judge bench, Justice Iqbal Hameed-ur-Rehman, told the court he had to recuse himself, claiming a conflict of interest and the case was postpone without hearing.

17.04.2017 another petition was filed which was rejected and we were kept waiting the helping hand of the God and God called and asked me to appear in Suomotu Supreme Court of Chief Justice of Pakistan and I had appeared to follow the voice of the God.

REF sponsored me to take an application from two daughter of Asia Bibi who are studying in Renaissance Education Foundation Higher secondary School since December 17, 2011.

I had appeared on June 1,2018 with Register No.12 of supreme Court Lahore. It was the calling of our Lord and Chief Justice of Pakistan was listen me.

According to the rolling of the court, I was asked to wait till next week.

July 12, 2018 I had reappeared in Islamabad Supreme Court with my reminder application, it was also sent by register mail to Human Right Cell (HRC)

The new strategy would be helpful to fix the case very shorty in next month.

Why Problem which it good to stay all together:

No privacy between newly married young couple and young two daughters of Asia Bibi.

Objectives and Goals

Short Term Objectives	To support Legal Aid for the freedom of Asia Bibi and shifted her and her family into the peaceful place.
Long Term Objectives	To empower women to earn with dignity and respect and to eliminate blasphemy from Pakistani society.

Outcomes

1. Poor family of Asia Bibi will be saved from all sorts of discrimination and persecution which they face due to blasphemy.

2. Families will be uplifted financially when they will be able to set their own business, it will give them confidence for a better life and awareness about their rights.

Desiring State

Renaissance Education Foundation (REF) has desire to see Christian families living a prosper life, and full of confidence like a peaceful society.

Narrative and Pictorial Reports and Evidences

Renaissance Education Foundation (REF) will give narrative and pictorial reports on monthly, quarter and annual basis to the sponsors, the reports can be published by the sponsors for well being of the ministry and the project.

Future Plan

Renaissance Education Foundation (REF) will share future plan of the next year at the end of every year so that sponsors may be well aware of current status of the project and that how it will be run in future.