THE daughter of a mentally ill British man on death row in Pakistan has delivered a 70,000-signature petition to Downing Street asking David Cameron to intervene.

Jasmine Rana travelled from Edinburgh to present the petition demanding action in the case of 70-year-old Mohammad Asghar, who was convicted of blasphemy.

Mr Asghar, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, was shot by a police officer in Adiala prison in Rawalpindi last month.

His family, backed by the charity Reprieve, say his safety cannot be assured in Pakistan and he should be returned to Britain.

Family solicitor Aamer Anwar said: “It is no longer acceptable for the UK government to hide behind a wall of silence whilst Mr Asghar’s life hangs by a thread and we call upon the Prime Minister to personally and publicly hold the Pakistani government to account.

“Every minute that passes increases the risk to Mohammad Asghar’s life.”

Mr Asghar was arrested in 2010 following a blasphemy complaint by a tenant with whom he was having a dispute.

He was sentenced to death earlier this year. Kate Higham, an investigator at Reprieve, said: “Now is the time for the Prime Minister to take action.”