Today (4 November 2014) a letter signed by more than fifty British Members of Parliament was presented to the Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, calling for justice in the Asia Bibi case.
The former Bishop of Rochester, Bishop Michael Nazir Ali, and Rehman Chishti, MP for Gillingham and Rainham, handed over the letter signed by 54 MPs, to Mr Bhutto Zardari in London.
The joint letter, authored by Mr Chishti and advised upon by Bishop Michael, asks for an urgent review in the case of the Christian mother of five children, who has been sentenced to death in Pakistan.
During the meeting in London, both asked the PPP Chairman, as the main opposition party, to urge the Pakistan Government and the Supreme Court to urgently address this miscarriage of justice.
All three also discussed the important relationship there is between Pakistan and the UK and the need to maintain it.
Member of Parliament for Gillingham and Rainham, Rehman Chishti MP said:
"More than fifty Members of Parliament, from across the political spectrum, have written to the Pakistan Prime Minister and the Chief Justice asking them to urgently review this miscarriage of justice in the Asia Bibi case."
The former Bishop of Rochester, Bishop Michael said:
"There is an urgent need for the Government of Pakistan to review procedures for the Blasphemy laws to prevent intimidation of witnesses and even the judiciary."
The full text of the letter is below
Dear The Hon Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and
The Hon Chief Justice of Pakistan, Honourable Mr Justice Nasir-Ul-Mulk
Re: Miscarriage of justice in the Asia Bibi case.
We are writing to raise our grave concerns over the decision by the Lahore High Court to uphold the conviction and death sentence in the Asia Bibi case.
We feel strongly that a miscarriage of justice has taken place; that Asia Bibi has been falsely implicated and the evidence being used in her case has been fabricated.
The International community is shocked and saddened at the unfairness of this decision and the treatment that she has received under Pakistan’s justice system.
Asia Bibi has now languished in a prison cell for more than four years, with her case adjourned on multiple occasions, and where even the accusers failed to appear in court.
She now faces further delays as she seeks an appeal to the Supreme Court. If her sentence is upheld she will become the first woman in Pakistan’s history to be executed for blasphemy.
We feel that this clear miscarriage of justice undermines Pakistan’s GSP Plus status, which expects countries to respect citizens’ basic human rights and religious freedoms.
We would urge that this case is heard by the Supreme Court on an urgent basis, taking into account that Asia Bibi has already spent four years in custody. The case should be heard by the full bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice, taking into account the international concerns about this case, as it affects the credibility of Pakistan’s judiciary.
As friends of Pakistan, we feel this miscarriage of justice is tarnishing Pakistan’s international reputation and we urge you to review this case as a matter of urgency.
Yours sincerely
Rehman Chishti MP
Member of Parliament for Gillingham and Rainham
Dave Anderson MP
Member of Parliament for Blaydon
Tony Baldry MP
Member of Parliament for North Oxfordshire
Bob Blackman MP
Member of Parliament for Harrow East
Peter Bone MP
Member of Parliament for Wellingborough
Sir Peter Bottomley MP
Member of Parliament for Worthing West
Fiona Bruce MP
Member of Parliament for Congleton
David Burrowes MP
Member of Parliament for Enfield Southgate
Ronnie Campbell MP
Member of Parliament for Blyth Valley
Martin Caton MP
Member of Parliament for Gower
Oliver Colvile MP
Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Michael Connarty MP
Member of Parliament for Linlithgow and East Falkirk
Alex Cunningham MP
Member of Parliament for Stockton North
Nic Dakin MP
Member of Parliament for Scunthorpe
David Davies MP
Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire
David Davis MP
Member of Parliament for Haltemprice and Howden
Mark Durkan MP
Member of Parliament for Foyle
Julie Elliot MP
Member of Parliament for Sunderland Central
Pat Glass MP
Member of Parliament for North West Durham
Roger Godsiff MP
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath
Damian Green MP
Member of Parliament for Ashford
Andrew Griffiths MP
Member of Parliament for Burton and Uttoxeter
Mike Hancock MP
Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South
Rebecca Harris MP
Member of Parliament for Castle Point
Sir Oliver Heald MP
Member of Parliament for North East Herfordshire
John Hemming MP
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley
Gordon Henderson MP
Member of Parliament for Sittingbourne and Sheppey
Philip Hollobone MP
Member of Parliament for Kettering
Glenda Jackson MP
Member of Parliament for Hampstead and Kilburn
Stewart Jackson MP
Member of Parliament for Peterborough
Margot James MP
Member of Parliament for Stourbridge
John Leech MP
Member of Parliament for Manchester Withington
Jeremy Lefroy MP
Member of Parliament for Stafford
Julian Lewis MP
Member of Parliament for New Forest East
Ian Liddell-Grainger MP
Member of Parliament for Bridgwater and West Somerset
Naomi Long MP
Member of Parliament for Belfast East
Caroline Lucas MP
Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion
Mary Macleod MP
Member of Parliament for Brentford and Isleworth
Ann McKechin MP
Member of Parliament for Glasgow North
Stephen Metcalfe MP
Member of Parliament for South Basildon and East Thurrock
Madeleine Moon MP
Member of Parliament for Bridgend
Caroline Nokes MP
Member of Parliament for Romsey and Southampton North
Laurence Robertson MP
Member of Parliament for Tewkesbury
Adrian Sanders MP
Member of Parliament for Torbay
Jim Shannon MP
Member of Parliament for Strangford
Andrew Smith MP
Member of Parliament for Oxford East
Sir Nicholas Soames MP
Member of Parliament for Mid Sussex
Andrew Stephenson MP
Member of Parliament for Pendle
Sir Andrew Stunell MP
Member of Parliament for Hazel Grove
Valerie Vaz MP
Member of Parliament for Walsall South
David Ward MP
Member of Parliament for Bradford East
Angela Watkinson MP
Member of Parliament for Hornchurch and Upminster
Craig Whittaker MP
Member of Parliament for Calder Valley
Sammy Wilson MP
Member of Parliament for East Antrim