(CP) The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom again has recommended that the State Department designate Pakistan as a "Country of Particular Concern," citing the country's blasphemy laws as a prime source religious freedom violations.
The U.S. State Department does not accept all USCIRF recommendations in its annual designation of countries that practice or tolerate egregious religious freedom violations, but it has designated Pakistan as a CPC every year since 2018.
Pakistan continues to witness widespread abuses of religious freedom, including blasphemy laws, forced conversions of minority girls, and targeted violence against religious minorities, according to the 2024 USCIRF report.
The blasphemy laws, particularly 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% Muslim country. The USCIRF report documents numerous cases of individuals, including Christians, Hindus and Ahmadis, being falsely 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 wrongfully detained and tortured on false blasphemy charges, exemplifies the ongoing misuse of these laws, it stated.
The report also highlighted forced conversions, particularly affecting young Christian and Hindu girls who are abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, and married off to their abductors. These incidents often go unpunished due to societal and institutional biases.
In addition, the USCIRF report pointed to numerous 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 adequate government response and protection for these communities exacerbates the situation, it noted.
The USCIRF urged the State Department to designate Pakistan as a CPC, which would subject the country to potential sanctions and other diplomatic measures aimed at improving religious freedom conditions. The commission also recommended increased U.S. support for civil society organizations working to promote religious tolerance and human rights in Pakistan.
In the most recent CPC designations, Pakistan joined Burma, the People's Republic of China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan on the list of the countries that most practice or tolerate violations of religious freedom.
The Pakistani government has often dismissed such reports as biased and politically motivated. USCIRF insisted, however, that its findings are based on thorough investigations and credible sources, urging Pakistan to undertake significant legal and policy reforms to address the violations.
The USCIRF recommendation drew reactions from international and domestic observers as church leaders and rights organizations welcomed the report, calling for immediate action to protect religious minorities in Pakistan. Church of Pakistan President Azad Marshall said that the report adequately 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 a spokesperson for Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs. "We reject any biased assessments that ignore our progress."
Samson Salamat, chairman of advocacy group Rawadari Tehreek (Movement for Equality), rejected the government's stance, saying that repeated acts of mob violence in the name of Islam and continued persecution of minorities contradicted the government's narrative.
"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 alarming increase in blasphemy allegations in recent years. This has also resulted in violent attacks on Christian settlements and individuals, he added.
Spike in blasphemy cases
Hundreds of people in Pakistan were incarcerated on blasphemy charges in 2023, many on the basis of a mere accusation without evidence, with 552 detained in jails in Punjab Province alone, according to a recent report by Lahore-based Center for Social Justice.
Moreover, at least 103 people have been charged with blasphemy between January and June of this year, it noted.
Government data submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Committee presented an exponential increase in blasphemy cases over four years — a 30% jump from 2019 to 2020, and a further spike of 62% from 2021 to 2023, according to the report. The government report acknowledged that 53% of all complaints were false allegations (398).
The government data about complaints from 2018 to 2023 acknowledged that the conviction rate under blasphemy laws was around 1%, with seven acquittals against every single conviction. Nevertheless, all convictions so far have been overturned by the high courts and supreme courts of Pakistan, indicating that even 1% of convictions lacked merit.
Muslims accounted for 98.40% of those accused of blasphemy, the report stated.
About 100 individuals have been killed in connection with blasphemy allegations since 1987, including 63 Muslims, 26 Christians, seven Ahmadis, one Hindu, one Buddhist, and the religion of two others was unknown.
The CSJ report also noted the upsurge in religiously-motivated killings and lynching in the past two years.
"In 2023, at least six persons or individuals were killed by private persons after the alleged blasphemy accusations," the report added. "Along with two extrajudicial killings, another three persons alleged of blasphemy died in jail between June 2023 and 2024. Hence, a total of 11 persons alleged of blasphemy have lost their lives in the past 18 months, including the latest incident in Madyan, Swat."
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.
"This has resulted in abuse of authority and miscarriage of justice," the report stated. "Therefore, an exponential increase in the number of alleged blasphemy cases with FIA. On the other hand, the perpetrators of mob violence in particular get away with through the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997."
Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors' 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, as it was the previous year.
