Pakistani court rules on appeal against Asia Bibi

Pakistan's top court has rejected a challenge to the acquittal of a Christian woman on blasphemy charges. The Supreme Court upheld its decision to overturn Asia Bibi's conviction and death sentence.

She was originally convicted in 2010 after being accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad in a row with her neighbours.

Asia Bibi has always maintained her innocence in a case that has polarised Pakistan.

Bibi's acquittal ignited days of violent demonstrations, with enraged Islamists who support strong blasphemy laws calling for her beheading.

The government has since launched a crackdown on the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) party, the Islamist group driving the protests. Its chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi has been under detention for weeks.

Asia Bibi spent eight years on death row before the Supreme Court quashed her sentence last October.

Hardliners had petitioned to overturn this ruling.

The three-member bench hearing the petition was headed by new Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa - considered the country's top expert in criminal law who helped draft the decision to acquit Bibi.

"Based on merit, this petition is dismissed," Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosar said in court on Tuesday.

Blasphemy remains a massively inflammatory issue in Pakistan, where even unproven accusations of insulting Islam can spark lynchings.

Many cases see Muslims accusing Muslims, and rights activists say blasphemy charges are often used to settle personal scores.

The allegations against Bibi date back to 2009, when Muslim women accused her of blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed, a charge punishable by death under colonial-era legislation.

The accusation emerged from an argument after Bibi was asked to fetch water while working in the fields, but the women objected to her touching the water bowl as a non-Muslim. Her case drew the attention of international rights groups.