III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 109 

Encouraging the Government of Pakistan to release Aasiya Noreen, internationally known as Asia Bibi, and reform its religiously intolerant laws 

regarding blasphemy. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 4, 2017 

Mr. PAUL (for himself and Mr. COONS) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Encouraging the Government of Pakistan to release Aasiya 

Noreen, internationally known as Asia Bibi, and reform 

its religiously intolerant laws regarding blasphemy. 

Whereas, in June 2009, Asia Bibi allegedly insulted the Muslim faith during a confrontation with Muslim neighbors 

and drank from a water source shared by these Muslim 

neighbors; 

Whereas, in November 2010, Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian 

woman, was sentenced to death by hanging after being 

convicted of blasphemy by a Pakistani District Court 

under Article 295–C of Pakistan’s penal code; 

Whereas, according to the United States Commission on 

International Religious Freedom, Pakistan’s blasphemy 

laws set severe punishments, including death or life in 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 109 IS 

prison, and have been levied against religious minorities, 

including Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadiyya and Shi’a 

Muslims, as well as Sunni Muslims; 

Whereas a petition calling for the immediate release of Asia 

Bibi has generated over 690,000 signatures, and 250,000 

of the signatures, roughly a third of the total amount, 

were made by petitioners from the United States; 

Whereas, in January 2011, Pakistani politician Salmaan 

Taseer, the governor of Punjab province, who campaigned for Asia Bibi’s release and called for reform to 

Pakistan’s blasphemy codes, outraged religious conservatives and was assassinated by his security guard, 

Mumtaz Qadri; 

Whereas, in March 2011, Federal Minister for Minority Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti was assassinated in Islamabad, 

Pakistan, after receiving death threats for his support of 

reforming Pakistan’s blasphemy codes and calling for the 

release of Asia Bibi; 

Whereas, in October 2014, the Lahore High Court of Appeals 

upheld the death sentence of Asia Bibi; 

Whereas the execution of Mumtaz Qadri in February 2016 

resulted in street protests that called for the death of 

Asia Bibi; 

Whereas, in Pakistan, mere accusations of blasphemy, even 

by private individuals, often lead to violence against those 

accused by private actors; 

Whereas Pakistan’s human rights problems include poor prison conditions, arbitrary detention, lengthy pretrial detention, a weak criminal justice system, lack of judicial independence in the lower courts, and governmental infringement on citizens’ privacy rights; 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 109 IS 

Whereas Asia Bibi is at risk of extrajudicial murder even if 

she is released; 

Whereas, in Pakistan, violence, abuse, and social and religious intolerance by militant organizations and other 

nongovernmental actors contribute to a culture of lawlessness in some parts of the country; and 

Whereas there is great concern for Asia Bibi’s safety during 

her incarceration due to reports that prisoners who are 

members of religious minorities face a heightened risk of 

mistreatment, torture, or murder: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) urges the Government of Pakistan to imme3 diately and unconditionally release Asia Bibi and en4 sure that she, her family, and her legal counsel are 

5 afforded all necessary measures to ensure their safe6 ty; and 

7 (2) urges the Government of Pakistan to re8 form its laws to reflect democratic norms and ideals 

9 and work to promote tolerance of religious minori10 ties, whether Muslim, Christian, Hindu, or other os11 tracized, so that no one is in danger of persecution 

12 from the government or their neighbors for exer13 cising their right to free speech and practicing their 

14 religion. 

Æ 


lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS