UK Parliament Pakistani born Muslim MP Rehman Chishti resigned from his position as Trade Envoy to Pakistan on 15 November, partly because of the government’s treatment of Aasia Bibi.
In his letter of resignation he wrote, “the British government is failing to put into practice the core values that our country stands for; religious freedom, justice … and that when we see injustice where an individual’s life is in clear danger and they have been persecuted for their faith, we do all we can to help.”
The MP for Gillingham and Rainham, whose father was an imam, also wrote a letter asking the Prime Minister to consider offering Aasia Bibi asylum on 13 November.
Aasia Bibi has left prison and is currently in a safe location within Pakistan, pending the hearing of the legal challenge which has been mounted by two Pakistani Muslims against her acquittal on a charge of “blasphemy. Efforts are being made by governments for her to be eventually relocated to a safe country. She had spent over nine years in prison, almost eight of them on death row. Her acquittal was announced on 31 October.
