Asia Bibi asks Pope Francis to pray for her as she awaits execution

Asia Bibi, a Christian mother-of-five on death row in Pakistan, has asked Pope Francis to pray for her.

The mother-of-five, who was condemned to death by hanging in 2010 for blasphemy against Islam, is being held in a prison in Multan in eastern Pakistan.

Her husband, Ashiq, visited her on Maundy Thursday.

She reportedly told him: “At Easter, Jesus Christ gives us an example of peace and forgiveness. All of us must learn from the teaching and sacrifice of Christ who was crucified for us and who forgave all those who harmed him. On this special day I ask Christians in Pakistan to live and pray for peace.”

According to Vatican Insider she added: “I ask the Pope to send out a special prayer for peace in the world and for me.”

The director of Lahore’s Renaissance Education Foundation, Joseph Nadeem, who is providing Mrs Bibi with legal assistance, also attended the meeting.

Afterwards he said: “Asia seemed very worried after the attacks on churches in Youhanabad, she was especially concerned for her family. She asked us at the Foundation to guarantee her husband and children’s safety. We are doing all that we can.”

In March an online petition calling for Mrs Bibi’s release had been signed by more than half a million people. The charity Aid to the Church in Need said it had redoubled its efforts on her behalf as her family is makes a last chance appeal to Pakistan’s Supreme Court. The High Court in Lahore upheld her death sentence last October.

Neville Kyrke-Smith, national director of Aid to the Church in Need UK said: “It is important we do everything we can to get real justice for Asia Bibi and save her life. We need the UK government and international community to get behind her plight as well as continuing to encourage the Pakistani authorities for a fair review of the case.”

Mrs Bibi, a farmhand, was accused of insulting Muhammad by her co-workers following a dispute in 2009. In November 2010 she was found guilty of blasphemy under Article 295C of Pakistan’s penal laws, and sentenced to death by hanging.