Irked by 'fake' report, Pak govt says Aasia still in country

Lahore: The Pakistan government Monday rejected reports about Aasia Bibi having fled abroad, stating the images on social media showing the recently-acquitted Christian woman being greeted overseas were "fake".

"Fake news is a big challenge. Aasia Bibi is in Pakistan and images of her leaving the country and greeted abroad are fake," Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told PTI.

Criticising the media for being irresponsible, Chaudhry said the government was considering to introduce a law to regulate social media.

"There is a need to check the unchecked social media and bring it within the ambit of law," he said, adding that fake news and fake notifications come up from fake accounts on social media on almost daily basis and needed to be checked.

Bibi, a 47-year-old mother of four, was released from Multan jail last week after the Supreme Court in its landmark decision acquitted her of blasphemy charges.

She was convicted in 2010 after being accused of insulting Islam in a row with her neighbours. Bibi always maintained her innocence, but spent most of the past eight years in solitary confinement.

Bibi's acquittal sparked violent protests from radical Islamists across Pakistan.

The Imran Khan-led government had agreed to their demand to stop her from leaving Pakistan and extend its help to place her name on no-fly list.

The BBC Urdu's report that she had been taken to another country created a lot of confusion and the Foreign Office had to issue a clarification that Bibi was in the country.

Earlier, Bibi's husband had appealed to US President Donald Trump and premiers of the UK and Canada to help her and other family members leave Pakistan as their lives were in danger. Italy had offered asylum to Bibi.