Islamabad, April 26: Pakistan's blasphemy laws are systematically enabling mob violence, abuse, and the criminal persecution of religious minorities — particularly Christians — with accused individuals facing life imprisonment and the death penalty, according to a damning new report. The findings expose a deeply entrenched legal framework that international human rights organisations argue violates fundamental freedoms and amounts to institutionalised torture.

The Case of Junaid Hafeez: A Symbol of Systemic Injustice

Professor Junaid Hafeez, a lecturer at Bahauddin Zakariya University in Multan, remains on death row after being sentenced in December 2019 by a district and sessions court for allegedly "insulting the Prophet Muhammad." He was simultaneously handed a life sentence for "desecrating the Qur'an" and an additional 10-year prison term for "intending to outrage religious feelings."

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) documented that Pakistani authorities arrested Hafeez in 2013 after students accused him of blasphemy on social media. By 2014, he was placed in solitary confinement after fellow prisoners repeatedly targeted him for violence.

Tragically, Hafeez's defence lawyer, Rashid Rehman, was shot dead by two gunmen in his own office that same year — a chilling demonstration of how blasphemy accusations endanger not just the accused, but anyone who dares defend them. Before his arrest, Hafeez had earned a master's degree in the United States on a Fulbright Scholarship, specialising in American literature, photography, and theatre.

Elaine Pearson, Asia Director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), stated on February 26 that Hafeez's case is "emblematic of the unjust and abusive nature of Pakistan's blasphemy laws," calling on Pakistani authorities to quash his conviction and free all individuals held under these laws.

International Bodies Condemn Pakistan's Death Penalty for Blasphemy

On February 27, the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) submitted an official contribution to the UN Special Rapporteur on summary, extrajudicial, or arbitrary executions, specifically criticising Pakistan's mandatory and automatic imposition of the death penalty for blasphemy against Islam.

The report notes that individuals convicted of blasphemy in Pakistan face death by hanging. While Pakistan has never formally executed anyone under blasphemy laws, the accused endure years — sometimes decades — on death row, in conditions that the ECLJ argues constitute torture. The psychological and physical toll on prisoners and their families is severe and largely invisible to the international community.

The Jaranwala Pogrom: State Failure on Full Display

On August 16, 2023, allegations of blasphemy against two Christian residents in Jaranwala, located in the Faisalabad district of Punjab Province, triggered a mob rampage in which over 20 churches and more than 80 Christian homes were vandalised and destroyed by a Muslim mob.

By 2024, Amnesty International revealed that over 90 per cent of suspects involved in the Jaranwala attack remain at large. Trials for those arrested have not yet commenced. Adding to the injustice, approximately 40 per cent of the minority Christian families displaced or affected by the violence are still awaiting government compensation — a stark indictment of Islamabad's commitment to protecting its minorities.

Uzay Bulut, a Turkey-born journalist and researcher, noted in a report published by PJ Media that even an unverified accusation of blasphemy is sufficient to unleash coordinated mob violence not just against the accused, but against entire Christian communities. "Pakistan's government has failed to deliver justice for the Christian community in Jaranwala, as well as to prevent further misuse of blasphemy laws," Bulut wrote.

A Pattern of Persecution: The Broader Context

Pakistan's blasphemy laws — enshrined under Sections 295-C and 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code — have long been criticised as tools of persecution disproportionately wielded against religious minorities, including Christians, Ahmadis, and Hindus. Critics argue the laws are routinely weaponised to settle personal scores, property disputes, or communal tensions under the guise of religious offence.

This comes amid a broader global reckoning with state-sanctioned religious persecution. Notably, Pakistan's blasphemy framework stands in stark contrast to its stated obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which it ratified in 2010, guaranteeing freedom of religion and protection from arbitrary detention.

The continued inaction by Pakistani authorities — despite international pressure from the UN, HRW, Amnesty International, USCIRF, and the ECLJ — raises urgent questions about accountability and the rule of law in the country. With Junaid Hafeez's appeals still pending and the Jaranwala attackers largely unpunished, the international community faces mounting pressure to impose consequences on Islamabad for its failure to protect religious minorities.