On January 25, a court in Rawalpindi has sentenced four men to death by hanging for alleged contempt of figures sacred to Muslims and insulting Koran. Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, rooted in colonial-era statutes and expanded under the Islamization policies of the 1980s, have long been a source of controversy and violence.
Designed to criminalize insults against Islam, these laws have increasingly become instruments of oppression, disproportionately targeting religious minorities such as Christians, Ahmadis, and Hindus. While the laws ostensibly protect religious sentiments, their implementation has fostered a climate of fear, mob violence, and systemic injustice, leaving countless lives shattered.
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are enshrined in Sections 295-A, 295-B, and 295-C of the Penal Code, with penalties ranging from life imprisonment to mandatory death sentences for offenses deemed to insult Islam, the Prophet Muhammad, or Islamic texts . Amendments in recent years have further tightened these provisions.
In 2023, the National Assembly passed a bill increasing the minimum sentence for derogatory remarks against the Prophet’s family or companions from three to ten years, a move critics argue was politically motivated to appease hardline groups .
The laws are vaguely worded, often relying on subjective interpretations. For instance, accusations can arise from mere rumors, social media posts, or personal disputes, with little requirement for concrete evidence.
A 2024 report by the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) found that in 90% of monitored cases, specific blasphemous words were not even identified, and complaints were frequently filed without firsthand witnesses.
Religious minorities, constituting less than 4% of Pakistan’s population, bear the brunt of these laws. While Muslims account for the majority of blasphemy accusations, minorities face heightened risks due to their vulnerable social status.
According to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), over 2,000 individuals have been accused of blasphemy since 1987, with nearly 100 killed by vigilantes before trials could conclude.
Christians, who make up 1.6% of the population, are particularly vulnerable. In 2024 alone, a Christian shoe factory owner in Punjab was lynched by a mob over allegations of burning Quranic pages, while a Christian mother was sentenced to death for sharing purportedly blasphemous content on WhatsApp . Similarly, Ahmadis—a sect legally declared non-Muslim in Pakistan—are routinely prosecuted under blasphemy laws and separate anti-Ahmadi legislation .
In June 2024, a 73-year-old Christian man died after being beaten by a mob in Sargodha, Punjab, following accusations of desecrating the Quran. Police reportedly stood by as the mob ransacked Christian homes and churches . Similarly, in Swat Valley, a Muslim man was lynched by a crowd alleging he had insulted the Quran, underscoring how even unsubstantiated claims can trigger fatal violence .
A 2024 CFJ report monitoring 24 blasphemy cases revealed shocking judicial delays: 217 out of 252 hearings were adjourned, leaving defendants languishing in pretrial detention for years. In one case, a defendant spent over a decade in prison before being acquitted, only to express relief at finally receiving a verdict—even if it meant a death sentence—simply to end his ordeal
The misuse of blasphemy laws is exacerbated by Pakistan’s deteriorating human rights landscape. Under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government, which took office in 2024, freedoms of expression and assembly have shrunk, with social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) intermittently blocked and journalists intimidated into self-censorship .
Blasphemy accusations are frequently weaponized to settle personal vendettas or seize property. In Punjab, a Christian nurse and her colleague were arrested in 2021 after a hospital employee accused them of damaging a Quranic sticker during routine cleaning. Despite a lack of evidence, their case remains unresolved, with local courts rejecting multiple acquittal requests.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have repeatedly urged Pakistan to repeal or amend its blasphemy laws, citing their incompatibility with international human rights standards. The UN Human Rights Committee has also called for reforms to prevent abuse, emphasizing the laws’ role in enabling discrimination and violence.
Domestically, activists and religious leaders argue for procedural safeguards, such as requiring evidence beyond mere accusations and penalizing false complainants. However, political will remains scarce.
The blasphemy laws’ devastating impact on Pakistan’s minorities underscores an urgent need for change. While repealing the laws seems politically untenable, introducing safeguards—such as mandatory evidence reviews, penalties for false accusers, and protections for judges—could mitigate abuse.
International pressure, coupled with grassroots advocacy, may yet push Pakistan toward a more just system. Until then, religious minorities remain trapped in a legal and social quagmire, where an accusation alone can be a death sentence—whether delivered by the state or a mob.
Shabir Sadiq (pseudonym) is a researcher specializing in Pakistan’s education system.
Note: The contents of the article are of sole responsibility of the author. Afghan Diaspora Network will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in the articles.