ISLAMABAD: The government and Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) on Friday reached a five-point agreement to end protests over the acquittal of a Christian woman, Aasia Bibi, who was sentenced to death in 2010 on blasphemy charges.
According to the agreement, “legal process will be initiated” to put Bibi’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL) that mentions all those individuals who are prohibited from leaving Pakistan.
The government has said that it will not oppose a review petition filed against the Supreme Court verdict in the Aasia Bibi case. The two sides have also agreed to take immediate legal action over any casualties that may have occurred during the protests against Bibi’s acquittal. Apart from that, all those arrested on October 30 or thereafter will be released with immediate effect.
According to the agreement, TLP has also “apologized to anyone whose sentiments were hurt” during the protests.
The signatories of the deal include Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Dr Noorul Haq Qadri, Punjab Law Minister, Raja Basharat, senior TLP leader, Pir Muhammad Afzal Qadri, and the organization’s central chief nazim, Muhammad Waheed Noor. A couple of hours after the agreement, TLP Chief Khadim Rizvi asked his followers, protesting across the country, to disperse peacefully.
It may be recalled that the complainant in the Aasia Bibi case, Qari Muhammad Salaam, filed a review petition on Thursday against the Supreme Court verdict and demanded that the authorities place Bibi’s name on the ECL until the apex court’s decision was reviewed.
Pakistan’s top court had said in its Wednesday’s judgment that the prosecution had “categorically failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt” in the Aasia Bibi case.
