A major crackdown on Islamist religious parties and an announcement by Pakistan’s justice minister suggest authorities are determined to change procedures under controversial blasphemy laws, officials said.
The purpose of such a change would be to prevent people from being falsely accused of blasphemy, which is punishable by death in Pakistan, if Islam’s prophet Muhammad is insulted.
Since 1990, dozens of people have been extrajudicially killed in Pakistan over accusations of blasphemy and crimes. Rights groups have repeatedly criticized and called for reform or repeal of the harsh laws, which date back to the days of the British Empire. Other penalties include fines or jail time depending on the specific crime.
Federal Minister of Law and Human Rights Azam Nazir Tarar announced on October 16 that the government will introduce procedural safeguards to prevent abuse of the law and ensure timely justice by ensuring fair investigation and judicial consideration in blasphemy-related cases.
Speaking at a national symposium on “Interreligious Harmony and Fundamental Rights – Constitutional Mandates” organized by the Federal Judicial Academy and Pakistan Law and Justice Commission under the auspices of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Tarar highlighted Pakistan’s recent policy and legislative initiatives. These include the establishment of an interreligious harmony policy, a national action plan, a minority protection cell and a human rights awareness program to promote inclusivity and protect minority rights.
“Respect for minorities and protection of their rights is at the core of Pakistan’s constitution and remains a fundamental responsibility of the state,” the law minister said, according to the Press Information Department (PID).
According to the latest digital census in 2023, more than 96 percent of Pakistan’s population is Muslim, with the remaining 4 percent comprising 5.2 million Hindus, 3.3 million Christians, and 15,992 Sikhs, among others.
According to PID, Mr. Taller reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening access to justice for all citizens and highlighted important constitutional guarantees that ensure freedom of religion, equality before the law, and protection from discrimination.
“In calling for collective action, the minister urged the judiciary, religious scholars, the media and civil society to work together to promote compassion and interreligious understanding,” PID said.
The symposium also adopted a declaration on interreligious harmony calling for the integration of interreligious considerations and human rights education in the judicial field. Strengthen institutional mechanisms for the protection of minorities and the realization of fundamental rights. Promote interreligious harmony, social inclusion and mutual respect as the basis of fundamental rights. and upholds the Constitution’s promise of equality and justice for all citizens.
Commenting on the federal law minister’s statement, Ejaz Alam Augustine, a Christian MP from Punjab, said that one of the main manifestations of extremism in Pakistan is the misuse of blasphemy laws.
“Blasphemy is never acceptable, but these laws are misused to settle personal scores and persecute marginalized groups, leading to frequent incidents of violence in society,” Augustine told Christian Daily International Morning Star News.
Augustine, who also served as Punjab’s human rights and minority affairs minister, said the federal government had yet to materialize the procedural changes intended by the blasphemy law, but any progress in this regard should be welcomed.
“Calling for blasphemy law reform and legal safeguards is in no way defending blasphemy,” he said. “For the sake of social harmony, abuse of respected figures and scriptures of all religions is unacceptable and there is no place for hate speech. On the contrary, there is an urgent need to prevent abuse of the law as people use false allegations to resolve personal disputes and deprive religious minorities of property.”
Human Rights Watch said in a June 9 report that Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are systematically abused to target religious minorities, dispossess the poor, and settle personal and economic disputes.
The 29-page report, “Land-grab conspiracy: Exploiting Pakistan’s blasphemy laws for intimidation and profit,” states that “blasphemy charges are increasingly being weaponized to incite mob violence, displace vulnerable communities, and confiscate property with impunity.”
The report said in some cases blasphemy accusations were used to target business rivals or force them to transfer property. It added that the law’s broad and vague provisions allow it to be exploited with minimal or no evidence, creating a climate of fear among vulnerable people.
HRW criticized Pakistan’s criminal justice system for enabling these abuses. The report said authorities rarely held perpetrators of mob violence accountable, but police often failed to protect suspects or investigate charges. In some cases, the intervening officers themselves may face threats. Political and religious activists accused of inciting violence often evade arrest or are acquitted due to lack of political will or intimidation.
ban on parties
In a related development, the federal government on Thursday (October 23) approved the Punjab government’s proposal to ban Teleki Labaiq Pakistan (TLP) under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), days after violent nationwide protests in the Gaza Strip claimed the lives of several protesters and police officers and paralyzed major highways and city roads from Karachi to Islamabad.
The group was founded in 2015 as the Blasphemy Law Movement and transformed into a political party in 2016. It was previously banned by Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf government in 2021 following violent protests.
The Federal Ministry of Home Affairs informed the Federal Cabinet that the 2021 ban on the TLP will be lifted after six months with a commitment to refrain from violence. It added that the current TLP ban stems from the revocation of these guarantees.
Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry said in an interview with the media after the federal cabinet meeting that the TLP had acted like an extremist group and violated previous commitments.
“In view of the report submitted by the Punjab government, the federal government had no option but to ban the party,” he said. “The Ministry of Interior had commandeered reports from all states on the party’s conduct over the past decade, including its involvement in violence, targeting of minorities, and inciting sectarianism.”
According to an October 18 article in the Friday Times by Washington-based journalist Jahanzaib Ali, an anonymous senior Pakistani intelligence official said religious extremism in Pakistan has reached a stage where decisive action against extremist individuals and organizations is inevitable.
“Officials shared surprising facts from recent intelligence recruitment operations,” Ali said. “Thousands of young candidates applied for low-ranking jobs across the country, and their questionnaires included a question that revealed a lot about the prevailing attitude: ‘Was Mumtaz Qadri’s murder of Governor Salman Taseer justified?'” A whopping 95 percent of applicants answered, ‘Totally justified.’ ”
TLP became famous for its fervent support of Mumtaz Qadri, the constable who shot and killed Punjab governor Salman Taseer in 2011 for expressing sympathy for Asia Bibi, a Christian woman accused of blasphemy.
The rise of the TLP led to a surge in attacks on churches, other places of worship, and cemeteries, as well as incidents of desecration against Christians and Ahmadis across the country. In August 2023, hundreds of TLP members looted and destroyed several church buildings and homes of Christians after two Christians were accused of blasphemy in Jaranwala, Faisalabad district, Punjab state.
In June 2024, party members lynched Nazir Masih Gil, an elderly Christian, in Sargodha, falsely accusing him of burning the Quran. The mob also set fire to Christian’s home and a shoe factory owned by his family.
Pakistan ranks eighth on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List as the most difficult place to be a Christian.
