A new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report states that Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are being systematically misused to target religious minorities, confiscate the poor and resolve personal and economic conflicts.
Bloody accusations are increasingly weaponized to incite mob violence, replace vulnerable communities and seize their property with immunity, saying, “conspiracy to seize land: exploiting Pakistani blasphemous laws for intimidation and profit.”
“The failure to prosecute the person responsible for past instigation and attacks has encouraged those who use these laws to force them in the name of religion and threaten their horror mail.”
She said the Pakistani government should urgently reform its blasphemous laws to prevent them from being weaponized.
HRW researchers interviewed 14 people accused in the blasphemous asp, not only lawyers, judges, prosecutors, human rights advocates and journalists in Lahore, Gujranwara, Kasur, Sheikhpura in Punjab between May and January 2024.
The 52-year-old Christian hairdresser in Lahore told HRW that in July 2019 he decided to quit his job at a local salon and set up his own business. She pooled her salvation and got loans from people she knew to start her own salon. Her previous employer tried to discourage her by offering a salary increase. When the woman refused, her previous employer threatened her and said, “This outcome is not good for you.”
In November 2019, a mob led by a local clergy barged into a salon for Christian women, beat her and her staff, looting and destroying the property. They claimed she seced the Quran and that a neighbor boy had found a page of the Quran in the garbage. The woman told HRW that the allegations were false.
“I respected all religions and didn’t even have a copy of the Bible in the salon,” she said. “Why do I have a copy of the Quran? I would have to commit suicide completely angry to even consider it.”
Another Christian, who runs a private school with both Muslim and Christian students in a low-income region of Lahore, told HRW in February 2021 that he received a call from an angry parent claiming “aspic” comments by a teacher.
Christian, 43, said he offered to meet his parents and asked the teacher for an explanation. The teacher refused to make profanity comments. A few days later, a group of people from a local Muslim organization threatened to “burn the school” if no apology was made.
“The teacher resigned, but that wasn’t enough to appease the religious groups,” Christian said. “It soon became clear that it wasn’t about the statement or the ‘blatant asp’. ”
They told him to donate 200,000 rupees (800 USD) to their religious charity for “atone” for his “sin,” he said.
“Of course, they were Christians, so blasphemous tweets would mean my school and perhaps I was also burning by the mob,” he said. “No one asks questions. My religion has made me even more vulnerable. But blasphemous accusations can lead to burnout in schools run by Muslims. The truth of the allegations is not important. Now, I have begun a cycle of intimidation.
Bloody Asp remains a capital crime punishable by death in Pakistan. The state has executed no one under the law, but mere accusations have caused mob violence and have killed dozens of people in the past decade. Defendants often endure the constant threat of long pretrial detention, unjust trials and extrajudicial killings.
The HRW report highlighted that marginalized communities, particularly Christians, Ahmadis and the poor, are bearing the brunt of abuse. Many live in informal settlements without a legal land title, making them particularly vulnerable to forced eviction following violence related to blasphemy. HRW discovered that the entire neighborhood had been empty after the MOB was attacked, and that members of the community fled in fear, leaving their homes and businesses behind.
In some cases, profanity accusations were used to target business rivals and force the transfer of property. The broad and vague provisions of the law allow it to be exploited with minimal or no evidence to create an environment of fear among vulnerable groups.
HRW also criticized Pakistan’s criminal justice system for making these abuses possible. Authorities rarely fail to take responsibility for mob violence, but police often fail to protect defendants or investigate allegations. In some cases, intervening officers face their own threats. Political and religious officials accused of inciting violence are frequently accused of fleeing arrests or acquitted for lack of political will or intimidation.
The HRW called on the Pakistani government to abolish the blasphemy laws, immediately release those imprisoned under such charges, and investigate all blasphemy-related violence, particularly cases that lead to evacuation and seizure of property. The report also urged authorities to implement safeguards against forced sales or relocation of land or businesses following the charges.
“The government’s indifference to blasphemy law and the abuse it causes under the violence it causes is discriminatory and violates its fundamental right to freedom,” Gosman said. “By failing to act, Pakistani authorities are not only tolerating fraud. They are making it possible.”
Pakistan ranked 8th on the 2025 World Watchlist, where it’s the hardest place to become a Christian.
