Aasia Bibi's daughter in plea to see sentenced mum

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Lahore: The 10-year-old disabled daughter of Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman who has been awarded death sentence in a blasphemy case in Pakistan, breaks into tears and says she just wants to see her mother.

Aasia Bibi, 45, was given the death sentence by an additional sessions judge in Nankana Sahib district Nov 9 on charges of committing blasphemy. A local cleric, Qari Saleem, had lodged an FIR against her for allegedly passing derogatory remarks against the last prophet of Muslims.

Aasia has told investigators that she was being persecuted for her faith.

Aasia's daughter Esha's hopes of meeting her mother have been raised after Governor Salman Taseer met Aasia Bibi in Sheikhupura Jail Saturday and assured her that he would take her clemency appeal to President Asif Ali Zardari to pardon her death sentence, Express Tribune reported Monday.

"I just want to see my mother," said Esha between sobs.

Esha, a special child, is most attached to her mother as it was she who took care of her.

"I met my mother on Tuesday," she was quoted as saying.

Esha's elder sister Sidra said: "Many people have been coming to this place for the last few days and Esha asks everybody who is that will bring her mother home."

"We have passed through very tough days. The day when my mother was awarded the death sentence was the worst day of my life," Sidra said, adding: "My father and brother didn't tell us at first but when we came to know we all got very depressed and didn't eat anything. Now we have hope that she will be pardoned."

She added that they don't want to go back to their village.

In picture: Pakistani Christian woman Asia Bibi listens to Governor of Pakistani Punjab Province Salman Taseer, unseen, at a prison in Sheikhupura near Lahore, Pakistan.