ISLAMABAD: Jemima Goldsmith has severely criticised the government led by her former husband Imran Khan for tackling the mass protests organised in the country for three days by religious parties after the Supreme Court overturned on Oct 31 the death sentence awarded to Aasia Bibi in a blasphemy case.

Jemima took to Twitter from her verified account @Jemima_Khan to express her displeasure.

“Not the Naya Pakistan we’d hoped for. 3 days after a defiant & brave speech defending the judiciary, Pakistan’s gov caves in to extremist demands to bar #AsiaBibi from leaving Pak, after she was acquitted of blasphemy-effectively signing her death warrant,” her tweet read, referring to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address to nation in which he had issued a stern warning to the protesters spearheaded by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

In a related development, the husband of the Christian woman, who was acquitted after spending eight years on death row, has appealed to US President Donald Trump for refuge, citing danger to family members’ lives. Ashiq Masih appealed to the UK and Canada for assistance.

The TLP had blocked major roads in Pakistan’s biggest cities for three days, calling for the murder of the apex court judges who acquitted Aasia Bibi on Wednesday, and terming PM Khan and the army chief enemies of Islam.

“I am requesting the President of the United States Donald Trump to help us exit from Pakistan,” Ashiq Masih said in a video recorded by the British Pakistani Christian Association and seen by Reuters.

“I also request the prime minister of the United Kingdom to help us, I also request the prime minister of Canada,” he said, while also asking for help on behalf of his brother Jospeh Nadeem who has assisted in Aasia’s case.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2018