Radicals choke Pakistan, Asia Bibi may leave country

Thousands of radicals brought Pakistan to a standstill, burning vehicles and blocking highways to protest, against the acquittal of a Christian woman who spent eight years on death row on charges of blasphemy even as the woman is planning to leave the country to save her life.

Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the 2010 conviction of Asia Bibi on charges of insulting Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.

Since then, Islamists have blocked highways to pressure the government to stop her release from an undisclosed detention facility.

On Friday, Pakistan shut schools and colleges after Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the leader of Tehreek-e-Labbaik party, announced his talks with the government failed.

Prime minister Imran Khan’s stern warning to the radicals over protests against the blasphemy case seems to have fallen into n deaf years as they continued to choke the country with agitations and violence. Khan had earlier asked the radicals not to interfere in the court order and “not to do disservice to Islam”.

Bibi’s husband is already in the UK and if sources are to be believed she too may be moved out of the country from her present undisclosed location soon.