LAWYERS for a mentally-ill British man shot in a Pakistan prison have filed an emergency application to keep him in hospital following reports he is to be sent back to the jail.
Grandfather Mohammad Asghar, 70, was targeted in Adiala prison in Rawalpindi last week, where he faced the death penalty after being convicted under blasphemy laws.
He is in intensive care in hospital and lawyers claim his health has deteriorated.
They have now lodged an application with the court in Lahore requesting that plans to move him from hospital back to jail be stayed "to ensure his safety".
Mr Asghar, from Edinburgh, was jailed in January after writing letters to people claiming to be the Prophet Mohammed. He received surgery after he was shot in the back by a guard on Thursday morning.
Aamer Anwar, the solicitor acting for the Asghar family, said: "Our Pakistani lawyers filed an application today asking that he be kept in hospital, where he is at a reduced risk of further attack and can be treated for his injuries and mental illness.
"An emergency application has been lodged as Mr Asghar's health has deteriorated following the shooting."
Mr Asghar's family and the legal charity Reprieve are calling on the British Government to do more to ensure that his life is not put at further risk.
Mr Anwar said: "To date the Asghar family has not had any response from David Cameron despite a personal plea to him for help. Mr Cameron must realise that Mr Asghar's life is hanging by a thread."
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