INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Saif-ul-Mulook's freed Asia Bibi, who spent a decade on death row in Pakistan in a blasphemy case
saying his life was under threat.Saif-ul-Mulook's latest victory saw the freeing of Asia Bibi, who spent nearly a decade on death row, after
the Supreme Court overturned her sentence on Wednesday.The decision sparked protests across the country, with major roads blocked in Lahore
and Islamabad as religious hardliners called for the death of the judges and those who helped acquit Bibi."In the current scenario, it's not
possible for me to live in Pakistan," the 62-year-old told AFP before boarding a plane to Europe early Saturday morning."I need to stay
alive as I still have to fight the legal battle for Asia Bibi," he said.Blasphemy is a massively inflammatory charge in Muslim-majority
Pakistan, where even unproven allegations of insulting Islam and its Prophet Mohammed can provoke death at the hands of vigilantes.On Friday
night, the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan party (TLP), which has largely led the demonstrations, announced an end to mass protests after reaching
a deal with the government.A five-point agreement seen by AFP, signed by both parties, said the government would not object to an appeal of
the verdict, filed earlier in the Supreme Court.When asked about the Islamist outcry, Mulook said it was "unfortunate but not
unexpected"."What's painful is the response of the government
They cannot even implement an order of the country's highest court," he said, adding that "the struggle for justice must continue".According
to the agreement, which came after a failed first round of talks, legal proceedings will follow to impose a travel ban on Bibi and stop her
leaving the country."Her life would be more or less the same, either inside a prison or in solitary confinement for security fears" until a
decision on the appeal, said Mulook.The deal was criticised by local media and the country's oldest newspaper Dawn called it "another
surrender" in an editorial on Saturday."Yet another government has capitulated to violent religious extremists who neither believe in
democracy, nor the constitution," it read.The TLP, founded in 2015, blockaded the capital Islamabad for several weeks last year calling for
stricter enforcement of Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws.That protest forced the resignation of the federal law minister and paved
the way for the group to poll more than 2.23 million votes in the July 25 general election, in what analysts called a "surprisingly" rapid
rise.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
