Protesters outside the Pakistan Embassy in Dublin. Labour leader Brendan Howlin has vowed to keep up pressure on the Government to grant asylum to persecuted Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi and her family.
Mrs Bibi is being held at a secret location in Pakistan after she was freed from prison when her conviction for blasphemy was overturned and she was spared the death penalty.
Authorities have been unable to release her due to fears for her safety after Islamists vowed to kill her. The government of Prime Minister Imran Khan has so far refused to allow her to leave Pakistan despite the fact that her lawyer has had to seek asylum in the Netherlands.
Mr Howlin was the only politician to attend a prayer vigil for Mrs Bibi outside the Embassy of Pakistan in Dublin late last week. He attended a meeting with the Pakistani charge d’affaires in Dublin alongside David Turner from campaign group Church in Chains.
Asylum
The Irish Government has said that it would consider any application for asylum from Mrs Bibi and her family. However, Mr Howlin has insited that this is not proactive enough since she is unable to make direct contact with Irish officials.
In a question to Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Coveney this week, the Labour leader asked if Mr Coveney or his officials have contacted his Pakistani counterpart in relation to the treatment Mrs Bibi.
He also highlighted “the refusal to allow them [the Bibi family] to leave Pakistan until the verdict is reviewed”. He further asked the Tánaiste if he has considered offering asylum to Mrs Bibi and her family and asked Mr Coveney to make a statement to the Dáil on the issue.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic at the Pakistani Embassy, Mr Howlin called on the Government to make the protection of persecuted Christians a key priority. “I think we’ve been neglectful of it, to be honest with you. I think that we haven’t looked at the way minorities – particularly Christian minorities in Muslim countries – are not allowed to express their own deeply held religious views and it’s something we should have a clear voice on.”