LAHORE: The judiciary must ensure retrial of Aasia Bibi and ulema should be given a role in it to ensure the final judgment is as per Sharia, demands Tehreek-i-Labbaik Ya Rasoolullah chief Muhammad Ashraf Asif Jalali.

Addressing a press conference here, he claimed that the government had assured the party that Aasia Bib has not been sent abroad.

“If she is sent abroad, as part of the media is reporting, the TLYR will certainly launch a movement against those responsible for sending her abroad,” he warned.

Deciphering the Supreme Court verdict releasing Aasia Bibi, he claimed: “There were at least 20 flaws if taken in the context of Sharia law. The TLYR wants judges hearing the review petition should call ulema who will convey the Sharia side of the punishment to the judges.”

Distancing TLRY from the more aggressive Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (LTP), he said all those “fatwas” against the army, issued from the Charing Cross, Lahore, were misplaced and the “TLYR does not approve of them.”Talking about the violence during the three-day protest, he categorically said those who went violent should be caught and punished. He said there were reports that arsonists belonged to PML-N.

Jalali also smelled a conspiracy in the post-verdict debate on the media. “The entire movement is being misinterpreted. Using the violent protesters (who did not belong to the TLYR), the media has been painting the movement in pejorative context and then extending the debate to question 295C (the blasphemy law).”

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2018