The majority of the 333 blasphemy cases registered in the past five years in Pakistan were bogus, a parliamentary committee found last week.
“We have seen people weaponize blasphemy allegations to target others over personal disputes, and that is tragic,” said Sen. Samina Mumtaz Zehri. “The laws are not perfect, which is why we have sought recommendations from all stakeholders so that changes can be introduced where necessary. It is our collective responsibility to leave the next generation a safer and freer society.”
Blasphemy carries the death penalty in the Qur’an and in Pakistani civil government, which prides itself for adhering to Islam’s Holy Book. Regardless of the flaws of implementing extreme sharia law, blasphemy laws get used mostly for vendettas, family disputes and property disputes.

While often they get used against Christians and other religious minorities, the study found that, surprisingly, 59% of the accused are Muslim.
No one has been executed under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. Police often fail to corroborate charges with solid evidence. But while they’re investigating, the accused spends months in jail; he cannot provide for his family, or a mother cannot care for her kids.
Aside from government punishments, a more real possibility is mob violence. A mere allegation frequently escalates to vigilante violence as mosque loudspeakers stir up the faithful to outrage. Extrajudicial killings have happened.
Over a property dispute in Rawalpindi (sister city to the capitol, Islamabad), Pastor Kamran Salamat was hunted down and shot to death in December, even though he relocated to avoid danger.

Of the four provinces, Punjab had the most accusations: 116 cases in the last five years.Read the rest: This is what blasphemy laws do (Pakistan)






























































































