LAHORE, Nov 20: Governor Salmaan Taseer said on Saturday that Lahore High Court Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif should have taken a suo motu notice of the death sentence awarded to a Christian woman by a Sheikhupura court a few days ago.

“The LHC chief justice should take suo motu notice immediately and not ignore the possibility of pressure that might have forced the judge to award death sentence to Asia,” the governor told Dawn on Saturday night. He said he received a mercy plea from Asia during a meeting with her in the office of the jail superintendent on Saturday. “I am going to forward it to President Asif Ali Zardari because he is legally and constitutionally empowered to pardon Asia who is poor, innocent and illiterate,” he said.

Taseer said the blasphemy law was enacted during the dictatorial regime of General Ziaul Haq. “This law only promoted extremism and quarrels among Islam and other religions,” Taseer said. He said the Constitution and Islam called for protection of minorities' rights.