1 USCIRF Issue Update: ASSESSING BLASPHEMY IN PAKISTAN | DECEMBER 2023

ISSUE UPDATE: 

ASSESSING BLASPHEMY IN PAKISTAN

UNITED STATES COMMISSION on

INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

732 N. Capitol Street, NW, Suite #A714

Washington, DC 20401

202-523-3240

December 2023

By Sema Hasan, Policy Analyst

Assessing Blasphemy and Related Laws on 

Religious Freedom in Pakistan

Introduction 

In August 2023, a mob of hundreds of individuals attacked the Christian community 

of Jaranwala, Pakistan, damaging dozens of churches and homes following accusations 

of blasphemy. The attacks erupted after two Christians were accused of desecrating 

the Qur’an, a criminal offense under Pakistan’s blasphemy law. The violence caused 

hundreds to flee their homes and resulted in the arrest of over 100 people. The attacks 

in Jaranwala represent the most severe attack against Pakistani Christians in recent 

years and coincides with the Pakistani government’s efforts to strengthen the country’s 

existing blasphemy legislation. 

In Pakistan, blasphemy accusations, whether true or false, often lead to lengthy 

prison sentences on death row and solitary confinement, foment violence towards 

religious minorities, and in some cases, the killing of the accused. Many instances 

illustrate the use of blasphemy allegations to settle personal vendettas, leading to 

acts of violence before charges can be drafted or presented to a court. In many cases, 

there is no punishment for those who offer false accusations or perpetrate vigilante 

violence. According to advocacy groups, more than 2,100 people have been accused of 

blasphemy in Pakistan since 1987, with 40 currently on death row and at least 89 killed

by mobs for blasphemy accusations. Rather than taking steps to mitigate the violence, 

however, the Pakistani government has recently undertaken efforts to strengthen the 

country’s existing blasphemy legislation.

This report describes the increasing use of Pakistan’s blasphemy law in 2023 to 

target individuals based on their religion or belief, including its disproportionate use 

against the country’s religious minority populations. It highlights select examples of 

recent blasphemy cases, including against Pakistan’s Ahmadiyya Muslim community, 

and provides an overview of Pakistani officials’ efforts to strengthen and justify the 

legislation both domestically and on the international stage.

Pakistan’s Blasphemy Law

Overview

Pakistan inherited its blasphemy law from British colonial rulers, who criminalized 

the use of derogatory remarks against religious groups or religious feeling. This law 

was adopted into Pakistan’s Penal Code in 1947 and later strengthened under the 

Abraham Cooper

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Frederick A. Davie

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Commissioners

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Mohamed Magid 

Stephen Schneck

Nury Turkel 

Eric Ueland

Frank Wolf

Erin D. Singshinsuk

Executive Director

USCIRF’s Mission

To advance international 

freedom of religion or 

belief, by independently 

assessing and unflinchingly 

confronting threats to this 

fundamental right.

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2 USCIRF Issue Update: ASSESSING BLASPHEMY IN PAKISTAN | DECEMBER 2023

rule of General Muhammad Zia ul-Haq in the 1980s to 

punish anyone who insults Islam, with harsh penalties 

that can include a death sentence or imprisonment for 

life. Individuals can be charged with blasphemy for using 

derogatory remarks against Muslim holy personages 

(Section 295-A), defiling or desecrating the Qur’an 

(Section 295-B), or insulting the Prophet Muhammad 

(Section 295-C). 

Under the current legislation, as well as the Prevention 

of Electronic Crimes Act, Pakistanis, including children, 

the mentally ill, and the elderly, have been charged with 

blasphemy. Alleged blasphemous actions include sending 

or proliferating text messages deemed insulting to the 

Prophet Muhammad, as well as sharing, liking, or writing 

posts on social media considered insulting to Islam. 

Individuals are often accused of damaging or harming 

the Qur’an or other Islamic texts. 

Pakistan has also censored organizations for material 

deemed hurtful to religious sentiment in the country. 

Notably, in February, the Pakistan Telecommunication 

Authority (PTA) imposed a nationwide block of 

Wikipedia, claiming the platform had refused to remove 

“blasphemous content.” Under the current law, the 

Ministry of Religious Affairs is responsible for reviewing 

internet traffic and reporting blasphemous content to the 

PTA. While the ban on Wikipedia was removed three 

days later, it highlights the Pakistani government’s scope 

in applying blasphemy legislation. 

Those accused of blasphemy often face mob violence, 

imprisonment, or the death sentence. While the 

government has not yet executed anyone for blasphemy, 

nonstate actors have killed alleged blasphemers. Those 

accused often languish in jail with limited opportunities 

for bail. Several of Pakistan’s religious political parties 

champion the country’s blasphemy law as a way to garner 

additional votes. In contrast, former government officials 

who were vocal supporters of reforming the blasphemy 

law have been killed. Former Prime Minister Imran 

Khan, while criticized for his support and defense of 

the blasphemy law, was also accused of blasphemy by 

political opponents. 

Pending Amendment to the Blasphemy Law

In January 2023, Pakistan’s National Assembly, the lower 

house of Parliament, unanimously passed an amendment 

to the country’s blasphemy law. Introduced by a member 

of the religious political party, Jamaat-e-Islami, the 

private member’s bill expands punishable offenses 

and offers harsher punishments for blasphemy. The 

amendment seeks to expand and strengthen punishments 

for condescending remarks against “holy persons,” 

including the Prophet Muhammad’s family, wives, and 

companions, and the four caliphs. It seeks to increase the 

possible range of punishment to a minimum sentence 

of three years and a fine, up to life imprisonment, while 

simultaneously making the offense non-bailable. In 

August, the Senate passed the bill. While the President 

must sign the law for it to go into effect, human rights 

groups continue to express concern about the impact of 

the legislation on religious minorities. A federal minister 

has urged Pakistan’s caretaker government to undo the 

recent amendment, but the issue has yet to be taken up. 

Pakistan

Islamabad
USCIRF Issue Update: ASSESSING BLASPHEMY IN PAKISTAN | DECEMBER 2023 3

Increase in Blasphemy Cases 

Notable Cases and Mob-Related Violence

As noted in USCIRF’s 2023 Blasphemy Legislation 

Factsheet, Pakistan is one of the strictest and most 

frequent enforcers of blasphemy laws. USCIRF maintains 

the Frank R. Wolf Freedom of Religion or Belief Victim’s 

List, which identifies select victims targeted based on their 

religion. As of December 2023, the database includes 

the cases of 56 individuals in Pakistani custody, 48 of 

whom are detained under blasphemy charges. Often, 

however, the blasphemy law is used in Pakistan to settle 

individual feuds or for political purposes. As a result, false 

accusations are not uncommon. In April, for example, a 

Christian woman, Musarrat Bibi, was falsely accused of 

burning pages of the Qur’an at a school where she was 

employed. Bibi was arrested, despite being illiterate and 

unable to identify Qur’anic verses. In a rare decision, the 

case was ultimately dismissed after authorities learned 

accusations were made by rivals of Bibi who held grudges 

against her for holding a management position within the 

school canteen. Those responsible for putting forth the 

accusations, however, were not punished. 

In such rare cases where accused have been acquitted, 

they continue to face significant challenges, including 

social stigmatization and threats. One of the most wellknown cases is that of Asia Bibi, who was imprisoned 

for eight years on death row and was acquitted of 

blasphemy charges in 2018. Riots and violence followed 

her release, with public calls for her execution. In 2023, 

Bibi reportedly continues to face a lack of support while 

in exile, despite the global attention brought to her case. 

This type of persecution and violence is ongoing in 

Pakistan. In November, for example, a Christian couple 

was granted bail after being charged with blasphemy 

for posting Bible verses on social media. Once released 

on bail, however, the couple turned to hiding and must 

relocate frequently to avoid mob violence. 

In many instances, vigilante groups and perpetrators of 

targeted violence against those accused of blasphemy 

operate with impunity, even in the presence of police forces. 

In February, at least 50 men stormed a police station in 

Punjab to kidnap a Muslim man, Muhammad Waris, who 

had been accused of desecrating the Qur’an. Initially, after 

he was accused of blasphemy, locals reportedly planned to 

hang Waris, but authorities transported him to the police 

station in Nanaka Sahib. Once he was taken into custody, 

however, the mob stormed the police station, removed 

Waris from his jail cell, beat him, and lynched him. 

Groups, such as the Human Rights Commission of 

Pakistan (HRCP), argue that the threshold for evidence 

in blasphemy cases should be raised to mitigate their 

weaponization. In 2023, Pakistan’s Senate Standing 

Committee on Human Rights noted that 215 individuals 

have been arrested under blasphemy charges, with the 

largest number of arrests during the year occurring 

in Sindh and Punjab provinces. According to the 

Committee, 179 individuals are currently on trial 

throughout Pakistan. In Punjab alone, however, Prison 

Department data indicates that 551 individuals were 

imprisoned for blasphemy, including 506 adults undertrial and 45 convicted, as of November 2023. Of those 

imprisoned, an estimated 40 individuals are on death 

row. This includes Junaid Hafeez, a Fulbright scholar 

and lecturer at Bahauddin Zakariya University who 

was arrested in 2013 after his students accused him of 

insulting the Prophet Muhammad on social media. 

Hafeez has been held in solitary confinement since 2014, 

when his first lawyer was murdered. In 2019, he was 

sentenced to death and continues to languish in prison. 

Jaranwala Attacks

The August attack on Christian communities in 

Jaranwala is a notable example of how blasphemy 

accusations can foment widespread violence towards 

religious minorities. Christians make up less than 2 

percent of Pakistan’s population, but Jaranwala, located 

in Faisalabad District in Punjab, is home to over 5,000 

Christians. On August 16, a mob burned at least 24 

churches, and raided and damaged several smaller 

chapels and homes. A Christian graveyard was also 

desecrated, with community leaders noting that violence 

lasted for 10 hours without police intervention.

The attack in Jaranwala occurred after two Christians 

were accused of committing blasphemy by desecrating 

a Qur’an. Following the accusations, members of the 

Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) began making public 

announcements from mosques for individuals to gather 

in Jaranwala. Reports indicate the mob was composed of 

Muslims from outside Jaranwala. As violence escalated 

local Muslims offered shelter and warning to their 

Christian neighbors, painting Qur’anic verses on the 

doors of Christian homes in an attempt to spare them. 

Prior to the mob attack, Muslims and Christians had 

lived together peacefully in the area. 

Demonstrations condemning the violence and Pakistan’s 

blasphemy law took place in Karachi and Lahore. Both 

the caretaker prime minister and chief minister visited 

Jaranwala following the attacks, promising compensation 

for damages and repairs to all the churches. As of 

November 2023, however, not all damaged churches had 

been repaired. 
4 USCIRF Issue Update: ASSESSING BLASPHEMY IN PAKISTAN | DECEMBER 2023

Despite authorities arresting close to 200 people involved in 

the attack, reporting indicates that fear among the Christian 

community persists. Smaller churches are unable to afford 

sufficient protection, and in some instances, services are 

conducted outside of damaged churches. Additionally, 

many Christian children in the community have not 

returned to school out of fear of recurring violence.

In the aftermath of the attacks, assailants have continued 

to accuse religious leaders in the region of blasphemy 

and to violently target them, as highlighted by a recent 

assassination attempt against a local pastor. Pastor 

“Vicky” filed a police report claiming that unknown 

men had written Islamic slogans on his church. He was 

then approached by two men who threatened to kill 

him, accusing him of insulting the Prophet Muhammad. 

Three days later, the men intercepted the pastor as he was 

returning from a worship service and shot him. As he 

was recovering, authorities falsely accused Pastor Vicky 

of staging the shooting, forced him to record a video 

confessing, and then placed him in police custody. He had 

to pay the police bail money to be released. The assailants 

who attempted to assassinate him are still at large.

Anti-Ahmadiyya Law 

Discrimination in Law and Practice

In addition to blasphemy, Pakistan’s penal code includes 

strict punishments against the Ahmadiyya Muslim 

community, which comprises nearly 4 million people 

in Pakistan. In 1984, President Zia ul-Huq introduced 

Sections 298-A and 298-B, which make it a criminal offense 

for Ahmadis to call themselves Muslims, use Muslim 

practices in worship, or share their faith. Ahmadis are 

therefore prohibited from publicly declaring their faith, 

obtaining material related to their faith, citing the Qur’an, 

building mosques, referring to their places of worship as 

mosques, or making the public call for prayer (the adhaan). 

Since Pakistani citizens are required to declare their 

religious affiliation to obtain official documents, such as 

passports, birth certificates, and national identification 

cards, Ahmadis must sign a statement declaring that 

they are not Muslim. Additionally, to register to vote, 

Ahmadis must either renounce their faith or be placed on 

a separate electoral list. 

Targeted violence and discrimination against the 

Ahmadiyya community has intensified throughout 2023. 

In March, the District Bar Council of Gujranwala in 

Punjab Province issued a notice stating that all lawyers 

who seek admission to the bar council must provide 

an affidavit condemning Mirza Ghulam Ahed Qadiani, 

the founder of the Ahmadiyya faith, and declare 

Ahmadis as non-Muslim. Ahmadi lawyers already face 

discrimination, physical assault, and detainment, as 

demonstrated by the recent case of Syed Ali Ahmad Tariq. 

Tariq was accused of violating Section 298-B of Pakistan’s 

Penal Code for signing a court document using the 

religious prefix “Syed.” 

In a July letter, representatives from the Lahore High 

Court Bar Association (LHCBA) asked the Punjab home 

department to prevent the Ahmadiyya community 

from performing animal sacrifices on Eid al-Adha. That 

same month, three Ahmadis were arrested and charged 

under Section 298-C with “hurting Muslim sentiment” 

for sacrificing animals inside their homes on Eid. A 

total of five First Instance Reports (FIRs) were filed 

against Ahmadis. These charges stand in contrast to a 

2022 judgment by the Supreme Court, which ruled that 

obstructing “non-Muslims” from practicing their religion 

within their places of worship is against the constitution. 

Places of Worship

In September 2023, the Lahore High Court ruled

that Ahmadiyya mosques built before 1984 cannot 

be destroyed or altered. Despite this decision, several 

structures have been vandalized and threatened. In some 

instances, police have been complicit by failing to stop 

perpetrators from vandalizing minarets. This includes 

an April attack against the Ahmadiyya mosque in 

Ghooghiat, Punjab. The mosque, which is over a century 

old, had several minarets demolished by vigilantes in the 

presence of police. Similarly, in May, a mob of 150 people 

vandalized an Ahmadiyya mosque in Halqa Rehman, 

destroying four minarets. In July, anti-Ahmadiyya 

activists publicly called for the destruction of minarets 

at Ahmadiyya mosques in Jhelum, coinciding with the 

10th day of Muharram. Political parties, such as the 

TLP, continue to use hateful and inflammatory rhetoric 

against the Ahmadiyya community and to call for the 

vandalism of Ahmadiyya mosques. 

United Nations Resolution

In addition to domestic efforts to strength blasphemy 

legislation, in July, Pakistan presented a draft resolution

to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) 

in response to a Qur’an burning by far-right political 

activists in Sweden. Following the Qur’an burning in 

Sweden, thousands of Pakistani Muslims protested in 

Lahore and Karachi to condemn the act. The UN draft 

put forth by Pakistan condemned “recurring acts of 

public burning of the Holy Qur’an in some European 

and other countries.” The resolution further called on 

countries to take steps to “prevent and prosecute acts and 

advocacy of religious hatred that constitute incitement 
UNITED STATES COMMISSION on INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

to discrimination, hostility or violence,” which Pakistan 

and other Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) 

countries believe includes burning the Qur’an. The 

resolution passed with 28 votes in favor, 12 against, and 

7 abstentions. 

The desecration of any holy book or object for expressive 

purposes is deeply offensive and should be condemned, 

but it should not be criminally punished. Both freedom 

of expression and religious freedom protect expression 

that some find offensive. Under international human 

rights law, speech can be criminalized only if it amounts 

to incitement to imminent violence—meaning it directly 

urges listeners to act violently and they are likely to 

do so imminently. Speech that offends other peoples’ 

religious beliefs or feelings should be countered through 

condemnation, education, and dialogue, under the 

consensus approach of UN Human Rights Council 

Resolution 16/18 that has been followed on these issues 

since 2011. 

Conclusion 

Blasphemy legislation remains a key challenge to the 

protection of religious freedom in Pakistan. In its 2023 

Annual Report, USCIRF outlined a number of steps the 

U.S. government should take to address religious freedom 

issues in Pakistan, including entering into a binding 

agreement under Section 405(c) of the International 

Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) ,with the Pakistani 

government. This agreement would be designed to 

encourage concrete steps to address religious freedom 

in Pakistan, including repeal of blasphemy and antiAhmadiyya laws. In the absence of repeal, the U.S. 

government should encourage the Pakistani government 

to enact reforms to ensure higher thresholds of evidence 

and proper investigation of blasphemy cases, in addition to 

making blasphemy a bailable offense. It also should ensure 

that false accusations and perjury are investigated and 

punished under Pakistan’s Penal Code. In a November press 

release, USCIRF further called on Pakistani authorities to 

ensure that the Lahore High Court Ruling on Ahmadiyya 

mosques is observed and that all citizens have equal access 

to vote regardless of their religious identity.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the 

U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, 

the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief.

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