Imran Khan
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan will pay a five-day visit to the Chinese capital of Beijing on Thursday, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Khan's first official visit to China after assuming office in August will happen upon the invitation of the Chinese leadership.
According to a statement by the Foreign Ministry, Khan will hold meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang and participate in the inauguration of the first China International Import Expo being held in Shanghai.
Pakistan's Supreme Court Wednesday acquitted a Christian woman who was condemned to death on blasphemy charges in 2014, local media reported. A three-member bench of the top court headed by Chief Justice, Mian Saqib Nisar announced the judgment in the capital Islamabad on the appeal of Aasia Bibi who had been sentenced to death by a district court in November 2010 for blasphemous remarks against Prophet Muhammad.Bibi had challenged the judgment in the Lahore High Court, which upheld the district court verdict in 2014."The judgment of the high court and that of the trial court is reversed," Justice Nisar announced.Security was beefed up in the capital and elsewhere in anticipation of protests from religious groups that threatened to take to the streets if Bibi was acquitted.Bibi is likely to leave the country as her family fears for safety.Blasphemy, against Islam and Prophet Muhammad, is a criminal offense that can carry the death penalty in Pakistan. While the state has never executed anyone under the law, mere allegations have stirred mass protests and violence.Last April, a student Mashal Khan was beaten to death at his university in the northwestern city of Mardan on similar allegations.In 2011, a bodyguard shot dead Salman Taseer, governor of the Punjab province, after he declared the blasphemy law as a " black law". His killer was executed in 2016.Rights group observe that the blasphemy law is often exploited to settle personal scores against religious minorities and say it should be annulled.Supporters of the law claim it is intended to cover all religions and prevent vigilantism after allegations of blasphemy.There are nearly 600 blasphemy cases waiting in the courts, of which two thirds involve Muslims.
Pakistani court acquits Christian woman of blasphemy
"During the visit, the two sides will review the entire range of bilateral relations which have enjoyed a long history of mutual trust and mutual support, while the two sides will also sign several agreements and MoUs (memorandum of understanding) of cooperation in diverse fields," said Mohammad Faisal, spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry.
Khan's visit is expected to provide further impetus to enhancing the existing strategic ties between Pakistan and China and break new grounds for broadening the bilateral partnership, Faisal said.
Khan's visit to China -- Pakistan's "all weather" ally -- comes ahead of an IMF official's visit to Islamabad on Nov. 7 for a formal discussion on a bailout package for the cash-strapped country.