Asia Bibi trial “postponed to a later date”: a mystery

Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – The continuous postponement of Asia Bibi’s appeal is becoming a mystery. As anticipated by Fides Agency (see 12/04/2014 ), this morning the administration of the Lahore High Court announced that the case has been postponed “to a date to be defined”. The tactics of the continual postponements (the fourth in two months) is “a clear sign of how the prerogatives of Justice for a Pakistani citizen, like Asia do not work”, said Asia’s lawyer, the Christian Naeem Shakir to Fides. The lawyer had explained to Fides that, after the transfer of one of the judges, Asia’s case had been transferred to another panel of judges, then to a third. The fact is that “the entire trial is now in the hands of new judges, and all hearings have been scheduled, except Asia Bibi’s”. The administration of the Court reported that, for Asia’s case, we will have to wait for the return, not even certain, of the judge who belonged to the first panel, and it may take many months. “We are disappointed and frustrated. It is a procedure which is not correct and not very transparent. There is no plausible reason why only Asia Bibi’s trial has not been scheduled. It is an undue delay. We ask for a meeting with the President of the High Court for clarification. If we are not satisfied, we will write a letter as Council of the Bar”, says Shakir to Fides. This is not fair for a woman who has been in the women’s prison in Multan for over 4 years and a half. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 14/04/2014)