The Islamabad High Court has mandated the formation of a special commission to investigate the alarming rise of a “blasphemy business” targeting Pakistan’s youth
Newsroom (23/07/2025, Gaudium Press )The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has mandated the formation of a special commission to investigate the alarming rise of a “blasphemy business” targeting Pakistan’s youth. The court’s directive responds to a surge in cases where young individuals are ensnared in accusations of “online blasphemy” through social media platforms and WhatsApp groups, only to face blackmail and extortion by organized criminal networks.
The phenomenon, which has escalated since 2022, involves deceptive tactics to implicate unsuspecting individuals in blasphemy allegations, often exploiting Pakistan’s stringent blasphemy laws for financial gain. Legal experts, human rights organizations, and law enforcement officials have identified a sophisticated network, including some lawyers’ associations, that monitors digital platforms for allegedly blasphemous content, using these accusations to extort victims.
The IHC has ordered the government to establish the commission within 30 days, with a four-month deadline to present its findings. “This directive offers hope to affected families,” said Khalil Tahir Sandhu, a Catholic lawyer dedicated to defending those falsely accused of blasphemy. “The blasphemy law, as it stands, is vulnerable to manipulation by criminal gangs that destroy innocent lives. I believe the government will act decisively to uncover the truth behind this serious issue.”
According to a report by Pakistan’s National Human Rights Commission, 767 individuals, predominantly young people, are currently detained awaiting trial on blasphemy charges. Sandhu highlighted the profound toll on victims’ families, noting, “Even after acquittal, the stigma persists for life, causing irreparable harm.” He expressed hope that the commission would bring clarity and relief to those entangled in these cases, which often leave families materially and psychologically devastated.
In a related development, the Pakistani Senate has passed a bill abolishing the death penalty for two offenses: assault and public spoliation of a woman (Article 354a of the Penal Code) and aiding the hijacking of an airplane or other public vehicle (Article 402c). Offenders now face fines and up to life imprisonment. The bill, presented by the government majority, awaits approval from the House of Representatives and the President’s signature to take effect. Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar stated that the move aligns with international human rights standards, including those in Pakistan’s trade agreement with the European Union (GSP+), which mandates limiting the death penalty to the most serious crimes.
Pakistan currently enforces the death penalty for a range of offenses, including crimes against the state, high treason, military misconduct, murder, robbery, rape, gang rape, kidnapping for ransom, terrorism, sabotage, and hijacking. The death penalty for assault and public insult to a woman was introduced under General Zia ul-Haq’s regime in 1977, replacing a previous maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment. The recent bill also reduces penalties for those who harbor hijackers, with the government signaling plans to review other non-violent offenses carrying the death penalty.
Father Qaisar Feroz OFM Cap, executive secretary of the Commission for Social Communications of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference, welcomed the Senate’s move in an interview with Fides: “The gradual abolition of the death penalty for less serious crimes is a positive step.” He urged a similar review of the blasphemy law, amended under General Zia in the 1980s, noting its misuse as “a sword of Damocles” against religious minorities and Muslims alike. “Christian lawyers and parliamentarians should reflect on this dark chapter in Pakistan’s human rights history, which has caused immense suffering,” Feroz said. “If international and commercial pressures have prompted reforms to the death penalty, we call on the government and Parliament to seriously reconsider the blasphemy law.”
The court’s decision and the Senate’s bill have sparked cautious optimism among victims’ families and human rights advocates, who urge swift action to dismantle extortion networks, reform the blasphemy law, and ensure justice for those unjustly accused.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Agenzia Fides
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