May the new Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, manage to dissuade the hard-line Muslim Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) party from causing trouble should Asia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy, be released.

Ms Bibi, a mother of four, in 2010 became the first woman to be sentenced to death under Pakistan’s draconian blasphemy laws. The ultra-religious TLP makes punishing blasphemy its main campaign rallying cry.

A special three-member bench of Pakistan’s Supreme Court last Monday reserved its judgment on the final appeal against the execution of Ms Bibi, and it did not specify when it would announce a ruling.

This poor soul has already served eight years in jail; she clearly paid off her punishment for blaspheming against the prophet Muhammad. Doesn’t the Koran preach forgiveness?

This extreme TLP party should give a lesson to its followers and forgive Ms Bibi and let her join her family, who have been separated from her for long enough.

It would be good for Pakistanis who work and live in Christian countries to send home a strong message that they are well treated by the people who hold dear the religion Asia Bibi believes in.

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