LAHORE  – The Supreme Court (SC) on Saturday ordered the federal and provincial governments to compensate the victims of vandalism following the verdict of releasing Asia Bibi within one month.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar remarked during the hearing of a suo-motu notice case that if the court had not  taken up the matter, the government had no plans to compensate the loss.

On November 1, Supreme Court (SC) acquitted Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who was facing death sentence for blasphemy, and ordered to release her on immediate basis.

“The appeal is allowed. She has been acquitted. The judgment of high court as well as trial court is reversed. Her conviction is set aside,” said CJP in the ruling.

The top judge announced, “She is to be set free if she is not wanted in any other case.”

Bibi was convicted and sentenced to hang by trial court in 2010. In, 2014, Lahore High Court (LHC) had upheld the verdict.