Police arrest Aasia Bibi’s sister for husband’s murder

Najma Bibi, the sister of Aasia Bibi who was acquitted by the Supreme Court (SC) in a blasphemy case in 2018, was arrested by the police on Wednesday for being an accomplice in her husband’s murder.

Two days ago, Younus Masih, 52, who worked at the mansion of a landlord, was found dead with his throat slit in a field. He belonged to Mananwala and had settled in Khanpur for work along with his wife and two children, a 14-year-old daughter and a 12-year old son.

Younas’ family informed the police that the 28-year-old Najma was having an extramarital affair with a man named Irfan Dogar and they murdered Younas together after he found out about their affair.

Sheikhupura DPO Ghazi Muhammad Salahuddin assigned the case to Factory Area SHO Muhammad Afzal Dogar and Sub-Inspector Wali Hasan Pasha. The police arrested Najma and Irfan and they confessed to their crime during interrogation.

Aasia Bibi was convicted in 2010 of passing derogatory remarks about Islam after neighbours working in the fields with her objected to her drinking water from their glass because she was not a Muslim. She spent eight years on death row. She was released in October 2018 after the top court overturned her conviction, saying there were “glaring and stark” contradictions in the case against her.

She left Pakistan for Canada in May 2019. Earlier this year, Aasia was invited to live in France after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. Despite her ordeal, Aasia said she still felt positive about Pakistan and hoped to return there one day.