UK 'Won't Offer Asylum To Asia Bibi Amid Security Concerns Grow

The government of the United Kingdom has denied asylum to Asia Bibi, a blasphemy suspect who was acquitted by Pakistan’s Supreme Court after the prosecution failed to prove its case.

According to a report by huffpost, the appeal to Britain for asylum was denied as the country fears for its diplomatic missions abroad for granting residence to the woman who spent 9 years behind bars on charges of blasphemy.

Global campaigners working to secure Bibi’s relocation out of Pakistan said the UK government had not offered her asylum, citing security concerns.

Wilson Chowdhry, chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association, said two countries offered asylum to the woman but hastened to add that Britain was not one of them.

‘I’ve been lead to believe that the UK government had concerns that her moving to the UK would cause security concerns and unrest among certain sections of the community and would also be a security threat to British embassies abroad which might be targeted by Islamist terrorists,’ Chowdhry said.

He continued that Asia and her family, who are still in Pakistan under tight security, have now decided to take up one of the offers for asylum from a western country.

The denial of asylum was specifically not confirmed diplomatically but the British Home Office said it could not comment on individual cases.