Next hearing for the Asia Bibi appeal on October 16

Once again, the appeal in the Lahore High Court, of Pakistani Christian mother, Asia Bibi, who had been sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy, is postponed until October 16, 2014, but this time it was  Bibi’s husband who  requested the court to fix the case for another date as his private lawyer was not present and submitted a written leave application.

This will be the seventh time the case has been postponed, and on this occasion, the case hearing had been fixed for September 9, 2014 in the Lahore Division Bench of Mr. Justice Anwar-Ul- Haq and Mr. Justice Shahbaz Ali Rizvi. Hopes had been running high that finally Bibi would be acquitted and would be able to return to her family.

According to the Pakistan Christian Post, the defense lawyer, Mr. S K Chaudhry, along with the legal team of the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS), including Tahir Bashir, Advocate, Nasir Anjum, Advocate, and Mr. Joseph Francis, National Director of CLAAS were present in the court, while Mr. Naeem Shakir, another of Ms. Bibi’s defense team, was on leave.

The PCP went on to say that Mr. Justice Anwar-ul- Haq was “in the mood to hear the case” and he told all councils that court “will hear the arguments of the lawyer who filed appeal against punishment and he is present and can make arguments,” but Mr. Justice Shahbaz Ali Rizvi suggested an adjournment of the case as Mr. Shakir submitted a written application.

“Therefore the Judges have to adjourn the case hearing till October 16, 2014 for the said case and also passed a written order  that on the next court hearing the case would be heard and there would be no other adjournment,” it added.....'