Blasphemy charges against a Christian girl in Pakistan have been officially dropped by the country's Supreme Court.

Human rights groups have welcomed the court's decision to dismiss a final appeal to make Rimsha Masih stand trial for blasphemy.

The Christian teenager was accused of burning pages of the Koran last August.

In November, the Islamabad High Court ruled that the case against her be thrown out.

Lawyers for Rimsha's accusers filed an appeal against the decision last week but it was rejected by three judges in the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

As the Supreme Court is the highest court in Pakistan there are no other appeal options left to her accusers.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide's Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, "We welcome this swift decision by the Supreme Court, which is a significant one in the context of Pakistan's blasphemy law debate.

"It is a relief to know that this final avenue of appeal has now been closed, but attention is still needed on the safety of Rimsha's family and community, as well as prospects for further dialogue on the blasphemy laws beyond the forthcoming national election period and related political tensions."