Protests in Pakistan demanding withdrawal of death sentence in blasphemy case

Hundreds of supporters from an extremist Islamist party have rallied in the eastern Pakistan city of Lahore to pressure judges to uphold a death sentence for a Christian woman convicted of blasphemy.

Asia Bibi has been on death row since 2010 after she was convicted of insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

Chanting "Hang infidel Asia," activists from the Tehreek-e-Labbaik party also rallied in other cities Friday, threatening nationwide protests if authorities free the woman.

Pakistan's Supreme Court earlier this week postponed ruling on her final appeal and her lawyers are hopeful of an acquittal arguing she was falsely accused.

That has angered Islamists who want her to be publicly hanged.

Bibi's first appeal was dismissed by a Lahore High Court in 2014, but the Supreme Court stayed her execution in 2015.