Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asserts that Canada is a welcoming country
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday that his government was holding talks with Pakistan over potentially offering asylum to Asia Bibi, a Christian woman recently freed from prison after her blasphemy conviction was overturned.
“We are in discussions with the Pakistani government,” Mr. Trudeau said in an interview.
“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 said. Her lawyer, Saiful Mulook, fled to the Netherlands soon after the verdict, citing death threats. The Dutch government said on Thursday that it had offered temporary shelter to Mr. Mulook. On Monday, the Dutch government said in a statement that its Embassy in Pakistan, which is in a tightly guarded “diplomatic enclave”, had temporarily halted issuing visas “due to circumstances beyond our control”. Pakistani media reported that the Embassy had been forced to close because of threats. But the Dutch Foreign Ministry said reports of the Embassy’s closure were mistaken. “The Dutch Embassy in Pakistan is open,” the Ministry said. Also, the Pakistan government on Monday rejected some reports claiming Ms. Bibi had fled abroad, saying that images on the social media showing her being greeted overseas were “fake”. “Fake news is a big challenge. Asia Bibi is in Pakistan and images of her leaving the country and greeted abroad are fake,” said Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry. He said some media outlets showed irresponsibility by reporting that Ms. Bibi had left the country after her release from the jail.
