Mr. Speaker, I am speaking tonight as part of what we call adjournment debate. This is where we have an opportunity to ask a follow-up question, going into greater detail about a question that we asked earlier in question period. Today, I am following up on a question I asked on November 5, 2018, a question about Asia Bibi. The question was as follows:
Mr. Speaker, Asia Bibi spent eight years in solitary confinement in Pakistan in the world's most high-profile blasphemy case. We are excited about her acquittal, but she and her family remain in grave danger. Ministerial permits have been used in the past to help vulnerable victims of false blasphemy charges in Pakistan, such as in the case of Rimsha Masih, under the previous government.
Will the minister continue this proud Canadian tradition and offer asylum to Asia Bibi and her family?
Around the same time, I co-signed a letter to the Minister of Immigration and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, highlighting the same issue and calling for Asia to be given asylum. I want to recognize the leadership of the member for Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek who organized the letter. I note that the letter was also co-signed by the members for Peace River—Westlock, Yorkton—Melville, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, Scarborough—Guildwood, Humber River—Black Creek, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, Saskatoon—University, Langley—Aldergrove, Edmonton Manning, Lethbridge and Kitchener—Conestoga.
However, the more important advocacy for Asia has come from the community. The strong, vocal and active Pakistani Canadian community and Pakistani Christian community in particular.
In the years that the Asia Bibi case has been going on, she has also had very strong advocates in Pakistan, people who courageously fought and continue to fight for tolerance, pluralism, freedom and justice. Two prominent politicians, Shahbaz Bhatti and Salman Taseer, gave their lives advocating for freedom and justice. We salute their memory and their courage. Members of both the Bhatti and Taseer family live in Canada. Shahbaz Bhatti's nephew actually works in my office. Clearly, politics runs in the family.
A great deal more work needs to be done to advance tolerance in Pakistan and to reform the blasphemy law, but the acquittal and release of Asia Bibi is a powerful step forward that gives all of us great hope. It gives tolerant freedom-loving Pakistanis hope that their country will move forward. It gives them hope for the realization of Muhammad Ali Jinnah's vision. Jinnah was the founder of Pakistan. He said in 1947:
You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed -- that has nothing to do with the business of the State....We are starting in the days where there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste or creed and another. We are starting with this fundamental principle: that we are all citizens, and equal citizens, of one State
The release of Asia Bibi is one important step toward the realization of that reality.
Media reports suggest that the government may have some information to share with respect to this case. As an update to my original question, could the government share with us any new details about Asia Bibi receiving asylum in Canada?