Pakistan: Asia Bibi fears she will be killed next

Asia Bibi

The Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy has said she is afraid she will be the next target of violent Islamic groups, after the second politician who defended her, Shahbaz Bhatti, was killed, Fides reports. Asia expressed her grief at his assassination and the killing earlier of Punjab governor Salman Taseer, who also defended her publicly.

The Christian mother is presently in an isolation cell under 24 hour guard in a Punjab jail for allegedly violating the country's strict blasphemy law.

Posters have appeared inside the jail showing images of Taseer and Bhatti with a large question mark and the threatening phrase "Who will be next?"

Her lawyer said: "Asia says that part of her hope died with Bhatti, but there are other things that give her hope: the support of all Christians in Pakistan and around the world; the visit of her children."

Source: Fides