A MENTALLY ILL British man shot in a Pakistan prison should not be sent back to the jail where the incident occurred, Holyrood's External Affairs Minister has said.

Mohammad Asghar, 70, was targeted in Adiala prison in Rawalpindi last week where he faced the death penalty after being convicted under blasphemy laws.

The Edinburgh ­grandfather has been in intensive care in hospital since the shooting, with his lawyers claiming his health has deteriorated.

They have now lodged an application with a court in Lahore, requesting that plans to move him from hospital back to jail be put on hold to ensure his safety.

Scottish External Affairs Minister Humza Yousaf said ministers at Holyrood were extremely concerned about Mr Asghar, who was jailed in January after writing letters to a number of people claiming to be the Prophet Mohammed.

Mr Yousaf said the Scottish Government was "doing everything it can within its power to ensure Mr Asghar's health, safety and security".

He stated: "We are extremely concerned about the plight of Mohammad Asghar, we have been for many months."

He said First Minister Alex Salmond had "directly intervened in this case" and had held face-to-face talks with Muhammad Sarwar, the governor of the Punjab, the region of Pakistan where Mr Asghar is being detained.

Mr Yousaf added that he had held talks with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) about the case as well as discussions with governor Sarwar, other Pakistani authorities and Mr Asghar's lawyers and his family.