'Canada is a welcoming country,' says Trudeau on case of Pakistani woman acquitted of blasphemy

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says talks are underway about the future of a Pakistani woman who was recently released from death row, emphasizing that "Canada is a welcoming country."

Asia Bibi, a Christian, was sentenced to death eight years ago for blasphemy after being convicted of insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad — a charge her family has denied.

Pakistan's high court recently overturned her conviction and ordered her release in a decision that sparked public outrage and protests across the predominantly Muslim country.

Since her release, Bibi and her family have faced threats, and her husband Ashiq Masih has appealed for help to Britain, Canada, Italy and the United States.

"We are in discussions with the Pakistani government," Trudeau said in an interview with Agence France Presse in Paris, where he attended a ceremony marking the end of World War One.

His comments were confirmed by a spokesperson in Ottawa.

"There is a delicate domestic context that we respect which is why I don't want to say any more about that, but I will remind people Canada is a welcoming country," he added.

Bibi's 2009 arrest came after she was accused of blasphemy following an altercation with two fellow farm workers who refused to drink from a water container a Christian had used. A mob accused her a few days later of insulting Muhammad, which led to her 2010 conviction.

Protests planned

Islamists have threatened to stir up protest in Pakistan if Bibi is permitted to leave. The government has indicated it would bar her from travelling abroad.

On Tuesday, the ultra-Islamist Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) party that led the protests said it strictly opposed her release and any permission for her to go abroad.

"It is a stance of the millions of Pakistani Muslims," TLP spokesman Ejaz Ashrafi told Reuters.

Last week, Canada urged Pakistan to ensure Bibi's well-being, and Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said the government was "extremely engaged in this issue."

Bibi's lawyer, Saiful Mulook, fled to the Netherlands this week because of fears for the safety of his family.

With files from The Canadian Press.