Daily Times

Asia Bibi said that she had been invited to live in France, after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

“I have received the invitation from the president and the French Republic, and I’m honored,” she said.

She had gotten into a quarrel with fellow farm workers, when she was not allowed to have water in the same container as the others, since she was Christian. She was subsequently charged for blasphemy.

Speaking outside Macron’s Elysee Palace headquarters, she said, though, that she needed time to make a decision about whether to move to France, saying she wanted to focus for now on her health and her family.

An Elysee official said: “France is ready to welcome her if that is her wish, in accordance with the procedures for a request for asylum.”

Under French rules, someone seeking asylum has to submit a request to an independent state agency, which decides whether to grant it. It was not clear if Bibi had submitted a request.

Asia Bibi spent eight years on death row, until 2018, when Pakistan’s top court overturned her conviction. That decision prompted protests from religious hardliners calling for her death and demanding that the government prevent her from leaving Pakistan.

Notably, Asia Bibi was in France for the promotion of her book “Enfin Libre!” which translates to “Finally Free!” It was co-written with French journalist Anne-Isabelle Tollet.

Bibi is currently residing in Canada with her husband and two children. She does not speak either of the official languages, English and French. In an earlier interview, she had mentioned that she missed her home, food, and culture. She hopes to return to Pakistan one day.