Islamabad,Feb 5 (UNI) Asia Bibi left the home she shared with her husband and children and headed for the fields. The village of Ittanwala, some 40 miles south-east of Lahore, is surrounded by green fields and fruit orchards. It is one of the most fertile in the Punjab.
Like many of the women in the village, Asia worked as a farm labourer. It was June and the women were to spend the day picking berries. After working for hours under the scorching sun, the thirsty, exhausted women stopped for a break. Asia was asked to fetch some water from the nearby well,
According to a BBC News report by Shumaila Jaffery, Asia set off, jug in hand. But on her way back she took a sip of the water before handing it over to her Muslim co-workers. They were furious.