ISLAMABAD: The United States Commission of International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has in its latest report highlighted how Pakistan’s blasphemy laws have enabled under Shahbaz Sharif and encouraged radical groups to operate with impunity, openly targeting religious minorities.
The report accused the government of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition of “weaponising” the blasphemy laws against former prime minister Imran Khan and members of his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party.
The report noted that “radical Islamist influence” continued to grow under Sharif, including through “armed groups, political factions, and individuals, many of whom used rhetoric, disinformation, or direct violence targeting religious minorities.”
Washington further observed that the far-right Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party gained popularity, using blasphemy laws as its main rallying cry. “Death to blasphemers! Death to blasphemers!” is a common chant of the group’s supporters at its rallies.
The report noted that sections 295 and 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) criminalise acts and speech that insult the religion or defile the Quran, the prophet, places of worship, or religious symbols. However, these provisions are often vague and subject to abuse, with false accusations frequently levied against political opponents.
Those accused of blasphemy face grave consequences, including violent attacks, imprisonment without adequate bail provisions, and even the death penalty. It’s, however, worth noting that Pakistan has not executed any individual on blasphemy charges, although this in no way mitigates the severity of the situation.
In January 2023, after the reporting period, the National Assembly passed a draft law that would increase the penalties for certain blasphemy cases to life imprisonment while eliminating their eligibility for bail.
In light of these religious violations, the commission recommended that Washington remove waivers that allow Pakistan to avoid consequences for religious violations.
It also urged the US government to enter into a binding agreement under the International Religious Freedom Act with Islamabad, encouraging substantial steps to address religious freedom violations with benchmarks.
Furthermore, the USCIRF suggested that sanctions should be imposed on government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by freezing their assets and/or barring their entry into the United States.
