Blasphemy Laws Misused to Target Minorities: Report
News Desk
Lahore: A total of 344 new blasphemy-related cases were reported in 2024, with 70% of the accused being Muslims, and smaller percentages of Christians (6%), Hindus (9%), and Ahmadis (14%), according to a report.
The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has released its annual Human Rights Observer report for 2024, highlighting a significant gap in institutional protection for the rights of minorities in Pakistan.
The report underscores critical issues, including the misuse of blasphemy laws, forced conversions of minority girls and women, challenges within the education system, delays in the establishment of the National Commission for Minorities’ Rights, discriminatory treatment of minority prisoners, underrepresentation of minorities in parliamentary business, and discrepancies in the National Population Census.
The report presents data on 344 new blasphemy-related cases in 2024, with 70% of the accused being Muslims, and smaller percentages of Christians (6%), Hindus (9%), and Ahmadis (14%). The abuse of blasphemy laws has led to widespread harassment, especially among minorities, with Punjab recording the highest number of incidents (62%), followed by Sindh (30%). The report also reveals disturbing trends of extra-judicial killings, with 10 individuals killed by mobs or other violent groups in 2024 alone.
A total of 2,793 individuals have been accused under blasphemy laws over the past 38 years, with 104 people having been killed extrajudicially from 1994 to 2024. The report also points out a disturbing rise in forced conversions of minority girls and women, with at least 421 reported cases from January 2021 to December 2024. The majority of victims were minors, and most incidents occurred in Sindh and Punjab.
In terms of prison conditions, the report reveals that minority prisoners are excluded from the jail remission policies that benefit Muslim prisoners. While Muslim prisoners can receive remission for studying religious education, no such policy applies to minorities, reflecting systemic discrimination.
Furthermore, the delay in introducing the National Commission for Minorities Bill, 2025, has been a significant barrier in addressing the imbalance in minority rights protections. The report also calls attention to ongoing issues in the education system, particularly the religious content in non-religious subjects, and the non-implementation of policies meant to protect minority students.
The review of legislative progress found that only 23 out of 186 bills introduced in the federal and provincial assemblies related directly to human rights or minority protection, with just one bill successfully enacted into law. Despite some progress in reducing hateful content in textbooks, the inclusion of Islamic content in subjects such as Pakistan Studies and Urdu continues to undermine religious freedom for minority students.
Lastly, the report raises concerns about the census, noting that less than half of the minority population recorded by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics is registered with NADRA, which weakens the representation of minorities in key national processes.
Peter Jacob, Executive Director of CSJ, urged policymakers to implement the recommendations outlined in the report to ensure stronger institutional protection and greater human rights safeguards for Pakistan’s minorities.
The report (Human Rights Observer) is accessible at the following link:
https://csjpak.org/human-rights-observer-newsletter/Human-Rights-Observer-2025.pdf
