The USCIRF has once again urged the State Department to label Pakistan as a “Country of Particular Concern” because of its blasphemy laws violating religious freedom.
Despite not accepting all USCIRF recommendations, Pakistan has received a CPC designation from the U.S. State Department every year since 2018.
The 2024 USCIRF report states that Pakistan is still experiencing widespread religious freedom abuses, such as blasphemy laws, forced conversions, and targeted violence against religious minorities.
The blasphemy laws, specifically Sections 295-A, B, and C of the Pakistan Penal Code, have been criticized for broad and vague provisions often misused to settle personal scores or target people of minority religions in the 96 percent Muslim country.
The USCIRF report documents many cases of individuals, including Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadis, being unjustly accused and imprisoned under these laws.
The mere accusation of blasphemy can lead to mob violence, extrajudicial killings, and mass protests, creating a climate of fear and intimidation, the USCIRF noted.
The recent high-profile case of Zohaib Masih, a young Christian who was unjustly detained and tortured on false blasphemy charges, exemplifies the ongoing misuse of these laws.
The report highlighted forced conversions, impacting young Christian and Hindu girls who are abducted, converted to Islam, and married off to their abductors. These incidents often go unpunished because of societal and institutional biases.
In addition, the USCIRF report pointed to many instances of targeted violence against religious minorities. Attacks on places of worship, including churches, temples, and Ahmadi mosques, continue to be a serious concern.
The lack of proper government response and protection further aggravates the situation for these communities.
The USCIRF urged the U.S. State Department to designate Pakistan as a CPC, which would subject the country to potential sanctions and other diplomatic measures to improve religious freedom conditions.
The commission advised increasing U.S. backing for civil society organizations in Pakistan that advocate for religious tolerance and human rights.
Joining the recent CPC designations, Pakistan is now among the countries that most practice or tolerate religious freedom violations, alongside Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Nicaragua, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
The Pakistani government consistently dismisses these reports as biased and politically driven. USCIRF clarified that its findings are rooted in meticulous investigations and credible sources, urging Pakistan to take significant legal and policy measures to address the violations.
International and domestic observers responded to the USCIRF recommendation, with church leaders and rights organizations urging immediate action to safeguard religious minorities in Pakistan.
Church of Pakistan President Azad Marshall said that the report accurately reflects the grim situation of religious minorities in Pakistan.
“The international community should not only push Pakistan to address these issues but also support it in any way possible,” Marshall told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
“We want a secure, free, and fair environment for religious minorities in Pakistan, and it is the responsibility of the state to fulfill this constitutional duty.”
Pakistani officials, however, criticized the USCIRF recommendation, arguing that it overlooks the efforts made by the government to promote interfaith harmony and protect minority rights.
“We are committed to ensuring the safety and rights of all our citizens,” said Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs spokesperson. “We reject any biased assessments that ignore our progress.”
The chairman of Rawadari Tehreek, Samson Salamat, disagreed with the government’s stance, stating that the government’s narrative contradicted the repeated acts of mob violence in the name of Islam and the ongoing persecution of minorities.
“The USCIRF’s recommendation to designate Pakistan as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ underscores the urgent need for addressing severe religious freedom violations in the country,” Salamat told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
He said that there has been an alarming increase in blasphemy allegations in recent years.
He said that, as a result, Christian communities and individuals have been the targets of violent attacks.
A Rise in Cases of Blasphemy
According to a recent report by the CSJ, hundreds of individuals in Pakistan were imprisoned on blasphemy charges in 2023, with 552 detained in Punjab Province alone, often without evidence.
Furthermore, it came to attention that 103 individuals faced charges of blasphemy during the first half of this year.
Government data submitted to the U.N. According to the report, the Human Rights Committee experienced a significant rise in blasphemy cases over four years, with a 30 percent increase from 2019 to 2020 and a subsequent surge of 62 percent from 2021 to 2023. The government report acknowledged that 53 percent of all complaints were false allegations (398).
Government data about complaints from 2018 to 2023 acknowledged that the conviction rate under blasphemy laws was around 1 percent, with seven acquittals against every conviction.
Pakistan’s high and supreme courts have overturned all convictions, showing that even 1 percent lacked merit.
Muslims accounted for 98.40 percent of those accused of blasphemy, the report stated.
Since 1987, around 100 individuals, including Muslims, Christians, Ahmadis, Hindus, Buddhists, and two unidentified persons, have lost their lives because of blasphemy accusations.
The CSJ report also pointed out the surge in religiously motivated killings and lynchings in the past two years.
According to the report, at least six people died in 2023 because of blasphemy accusations from private individuals.
From June 2023 to 2024, three individuals accused of blasphemy passed away while in jail, along with two extrajudicial killings.
The CSJ report also criticized giving the Federal Investigation Agency powers to investigate cybercrimes related to blasphemy laws, as well as empowering anti-terrorism courts to prosecute cases under Section 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The report showed that there had been an abuse of authority and a miscarriage of justice. “Therefore, there has been an exponential increase in the number of alleged blasphemy cases with FIA.
The perpetrators of mob violence, in particular, get away with it through the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997.”
Pakistan held its seventh spot on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List, which identifies the most brutal places for Christians, mirroring its position from the previous year.
