US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo. (File)US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Friday urged Pakistan to do more on religious freedom and asserted that the country must stop the abuse of blasphemy laws following the release of Asia Bibi, ANI reported. Bibi escaped a death sentence after a decade-long ordeal in a blasphemy case that drew international scrutiny.
Estimating that more than forty people, apart from Asia were serving life sentences or facing execution for blasphemy in Pakistan, Pompeo said, “Supreme Court acquitted Asia Bibi, a Catholic, of blasphemy, sparing her the death penalty after she spent nearly a decade in prison. However, more than 40 others remain jailed for life, or face execution on that very same charge.”
“We continue to call for their release and encourage the government to appoint an envoy to address religious freedom concerns,” the US Secretary of State was quoted as saying by news agency ANI while releasing an annual report on international religious freedom in Washington.
Bibi, a Catholic was convicted of blasphemy in 2010 and sent to death row. Despite public protests against her, she was acquitted on appeal last year and in May, she moved to Canada.
He also strongly criticised US adversaries Iran and China, for Beijing’s detention of nearly one million Muslims, belonging to the Uighur ethnic minority group.
With ANI inputs
