Asia Bibi, the first woman to be sentenced to death for blasphemy in Pakistan, has called on the Prime Minister to help Christian girls in her country who are abducted, raped and forced to marry their captors.

Bishops say that respecting a public vote is essential, but they cautioned that “democracy and committed debate do not end after the counting of votes.”

“I welcome Parliament’s recognition of the grave risks that this bill posed to the lives of our society’s most vulnerable people” - Archbishop Peter Smith.