GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Pakistan’s stringent blasphemy statutes, which mandate the death penalty, are being systematically misused to oppress religious minorities and suppress free expression, a human rights officer warned the international community this week.
During her oral intervention at the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Alejandra Martinez Otero, the Human Rights Officer of the Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD), raised an urgent alarm regarding the state of fundamental rights in Pakistan. She emphasized the critical need for immediate legal reform and enhanced safety measures for vulnerable communities across the country.
Dozens on Death Row, Minorities Disproportionately Targeted
Martinez Otero highlighted the extreme punishments enabled by the law, stating that dozens of individuals are currently facing the harshest penalties.
“At least 53 individuals are currently on death row for blasphemy-related charges,” she stated.
She further underscored the discriminatory application of the law, noting that minorities—particularly Ahmadis, Christians, and Hindus—are disproportionately targeted by accusations. According to the GHRD, many of these cases are motivated by personal grievances or entrenched communal bias rather than by verifiable religious offenses, indicating a weaponization of the law.
Digital Platforms Fuel Mob Justice and Impunity
The GHRD intervention also raised serious concerns over the escalating role of digital platforms in triggering violence. Social media activity and online posts have become frequent catalysts for mob attacks, often leading to deadly consequences.
Martinez Otero pointed out a chilling trend in 2024: civil society organizations have documented several suspected extrajudicial killings linked to blasphemy allegations. Despite the severity of these vigilante crimes, the perpetrators are rarely brought to justice. This systemic failure to prosecute offenders, she argued, has fostered a pervasive “climate of impunity” that encourages further violence.
Blasphemy Accusations Mask Abduction and Forced Marriage
An additional area of grave concern highlighted by the GHRD officer is the heightened vulnerability of minority girls in Pakistan. These young women and girls face an increased risk of abduction and forced marriage.
Martinez Otero asserted that false blasphemy charges and corresponding threats are often leveraged as tools to justify or conceal these abuses, compounding the dangers faced by minority communities.
Call for Urgent UN and Government Action
In her concluding remarks, the GHRD officer issued a direct call to the UNHRC and its mechanisms to engage immediately with Pakistan. The intervention urged the international community to press Islamabad for significant reforms.
The specific recommendations put forward included:
- Revising or Repealing the existing blasphemy provisions.
- Ensuring Fair Trials for all accused individuals.
- Releasing those who have been unfairly imprisoned.
- Safeguarding at-risk minority communities.
- Holding perpetrators of violence and false accusers fully accountable.