ASIA/PAKISTAN - The Church: "Asia Bibi sentenced, but hope is alive"

Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - "We must continue to pray and hope for Asia Bibi", after the Lahore High Court upheld the death penalty for the Christian woman convicted of blasphemy in 2010. This was reported to Fides Agency by Fr. Emmanuel Yousaf, Director of the "National Commission for Justice and Peace" (NCJP) of the Pakistani Bishops and parish priest in Lahore.
"The confirmation of the conviction is bad news for all of us. The lawyers did their best and the whole Christian community was waiting with confidence. On Sunday we will pray in our churches for the life of this innocent woman", says Fr. Emmanuel in an interview with Fides.
"In any case - he adds – hope remains alive: we will appeal to the Supreme Court, and I want to remember the cases in which the Court overturned the sentences handed down in the previous degrees of judgment. I remember a story we followed closely with the Justice and Peace Commission: the case of Ayub Masih, a Christian, also sentenced to death for blasphemy and saved thanks to the acquittal verdict of the Supreme Court".
Fr. Emmanuel ensures the closeness, solidarity and prayer of the Catholic Church of Pakistan "to Asia, her family and all those who suffer injustice and are innocent and find themselves in prison: they are the image of the suffering Christ". With regards to any changes to the blasphemy law, the Director notes, "Changes are not on the political agenda. Islamabad is shaken by turmoil and street protests and the government and Parliament have other matters to deal with". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 17/10/2014)