Latest news with #LegalCommissiononBlasphemyPakistan
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Pakistan court orders probe into online blasphemy spike
A Pakistan court ordered a government probe on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) into allegations that young people are being entrapped in online blasphemy cases, following appeals from hundreds of families. There has been a spike in cases of mostly young men being arrested for committing blasphemy in WhatsApp groups since 2022. Rights groups and police have said that many are brought to trial by private law firms, who use volunteers to scour the internet for offenders. "The government will constitute a commission within a 30-day timeframe," said Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan at Islamabad High Court, adding that the commission is required to submit its findings within four months. Blasphemy is an incendiary charge in Muslim-majority Pakistan punishable by death, and even unsubstantiated accusations can incite public outrage, lead to lynchings and to families being shunned by society. A report published by the government-run National Commission for Human Rights in October last year said there were 767 people, mostly young men, in jail awaiting trial over blasphemy allegations. "This is a huge ray of hope and it's the first time that the families have felt heard," said lawyer Imaan Mazari, who represents the families of arrested men and women, of the court order. "Youngsters have been falsely roped into cases of such a sensitive nature that the stigma will last forever even if they are acquitted," she added. A 2024 report by Punjab police into the sudden spike in cases, that was leaked to the media, found that "a suspicious gang was trapping youth in blasphemy cases" and may be motivated by financial gain. The Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan (LCBP) is the most active of lawyers groups prosecuting young men in Pakistan. Sheraz Ahmad Farooqi, one of the group's leaders, told AFP in October that "God has chosen them for this noble cause". In recent years, several youngsters have been convicted and handed death sentences, although no execution has ever been carried out for blasphemy in Pakistan. "We will fully support the probe commission and are confident that our voices will finally be listened to, our concerns will be heard, and the truth will come out," the relative of one of the accused, who asked not to be named because of the backlash, said.
Gulf Today
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Pakistan court sentences five men to death for 'blasphemous content'
A Pakistan court has sentenced five men to death for posting "blasphemous content online", a prosecution lawyer told the media on Wednesday. Pakistan has witnessed a sharp increase in the prosecution of "online blasphemy" cases, with private vigilante groups bringing charges against hundreds of young individuals for allegedly committing blasphemy. "All five accused were sentenced to death for spreading blasphemous content against the holy Prophet," a lawyer from the Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan, a private group which brought the case to court, told the media. "Separately all were sentenced to life imprisonment for the Holy Quran's desecration and 10 years imprisonment for hurting religious sentiments," lawyer Rao Abdur Raheem said. The five men -- one Afghan and four Pakistanis -- were sentenced on Tuesday in Rawalpindi, the garrison city that neighbours the capital Islamabad. The sentences will run concurrently, Raheem said. Blasphemy is an incendiary charge in the Muslim-majority country, where even unsubstantiated accusations can incite public outrage and lead to lynchings. The convicts have a right to appeal in the upper courts. Agence France-Presse
Khaleej Times
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Pakistan court sentences five to death for 'online blasphemy'
A Pakistan court has sentenced five men to death for posting blasphemous content online, a prosecution lawyer told AFP on Wednesday, as the country witnesses a sharp increase in such cases. Private groups in Pakistan have brought charges against hundreds of young individuals in recent years for allegedly committing blasphemy online. "All five accused were sentenced to death for spreading blasphemous content against the holy prophet," a lawyer from the Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan, a private group which brought the case to court, told AFP. "Separately all were sentenced to life imprisonment for the holy Quran's desecration and 10 years imprisonment for hurting religious sentiments," lawyer Rao Abdur Raheem said. The five men — one Afghan and four Pakistanis — were sentenced on Tuesday in Rawalpindi, the garrison city that neighbours the capital Islamabad. The sentences will run concurrently, Raheem said. The convicts have a right to appeal in the upper courts. Despite the conviction, Pakistan has never executed anyone for blasphemy. Hundreds of cases The decision comes a day after a Pakistani YouTube star was charged with blasphemy after launching a perfume named after the very law he has fallen foul of. Rajab Butt launched his "295" perfume which refers to blasphemy legislation in the penal code. Currently in Saudi Arabia, the thirty-year-old faces up to 10 years in prison in two blasphemy cases related to videos he posted online. Many of the online blasphemy cases are being brought to trial by private "vigilante groups" led by lawyers and supported by volunteers who scour the internet for offenders, rights groups and police say. The Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan (LCBP) is the most active of such groups in Pakistan. Sheraz Ahmad Farooqi, one of the group's leaders, told AFP in October that "God has chosen them for this noble cause". In January the same court sentenced four men to death for posting for posting "blasphemous content online". A support group formed by the families of those convicted and arrested on similar charges filed a case in the Islamabad High Court last year, requesting an independent commission be created to investigate the facts around the cases. A report published by the government-run National Commission for Human Rights in October last year said there were 767 people, mostly young men, in jail awaiting trial over blasphemy allegations. Cases can drag through the courts for years, although death penalties are often commuted to life in prison on appeal at the Supreme Court. A special court was formed in September to expedite the dozens of pending cases.
Gulf Today
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Pakistani YouTuber charged with blasphemy over perfume
A Pakistani YouTube star has been charged with blasphemy after launching a perfume named after the very law he has fallen foul of, police said on Tuesday. Rajab Butt has one of the largest online followings in the country and has been embroiled in controversy for years, including over his brief custody of a lion cub. In a recent video, since deleted from his social media accounts, Butt launched his '295' perfume which refers to blasphemy legislation in the penal code. He said it followed a case filed against him last year, over an earlier video deemed blasphemous by radicals. His perfume publicity sparked further ire, prompting the leader of the radical Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to file a complaint late on Monday. 'Our religious sentiments have been hurt', said TLP leader Haider Ali Shah Gillani, whose party puts blasphemy as its central concern. 'There are numerous sections in the penal code but why did he choose blasphemy-related sections to name a perfume?' he told reporters. 'This means you acknowledge the offence and are celebrating it. This is essentially an attempt to normalise such actions,' he said. A police charge sheet seen by media and authenticated by a police official on Tuesday details the accusations against Butt, including blasphemy and cybercrime. In both cases against him, the social media personality risks up to 10 years in prison. Butt issued an apology video on Sunday, asserting he is not against the country's blasphemy laws. 'I apologise for the words I uttered during the launch of the perfume,' he said while holding Holy Quran. 'I apologise and announce the discontinuation of this perfume,' he added. Butt has previously drawn a parallel with his 'mentor', the slain Indian rapper Sidhu Moose Wala, who released a song titled '295' in reference to religious incitement. In other legal troubles, Butt pleaded guilty in January to owning an undocumented wild animal after accepting a lion cub as a wedding gift. He avoided jail by promising a judge to post animal rights videos for a year. Blasphemy is an incendiary charge in Pakistan, where even unsubstantiated accusations can incite public outrage and lead to lynchings. In January this year, a local court in Pakistan has sentenced four men to death for posting blasphemous content online. The four men were sentenced in Rawalpindi, the garrison city that neighbours the capital Islamabad, Rao Abdur Raheem, a lawyer from the Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan (LCBP), told AFP. Pakistan has witnessed a sharp increase in the prosecution of 'online blasphemy' cases, with private groups bringing charges against hundreds of young individuals for allegedly committing blasphemy. However, despite the conviction, Pakistan has never executed anyone for blasphemy. A member of a support group formed by the families confirmed the sentence to reporter and said the group would challenge the conviction. 'The pattern of arrests and prosecutions in this case is consistent with previous ones,' said the support group member, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. 'We urge the government to establish a commission to investigate the rise in these cases before these young individuals spend the best years of their lives behind bars.' Many of the online blasphemy cases are being brought to trial by private 'vigilante groups' led by lawyers and supported by volunteers who scour the internet for offenders, rights groups and police say. A report published by the government-run National Commission for Human Rights in October last year said there were 767 people, mostly young men, in jail awaiting trial over blasphemy allegations. 'In these cases, due process was notably disregarded, with significant procedural violations observed at multiple stages,' the report said. 'Arrests were often carried out by private individuals rather than law enforcement.' Cases can drag through the courts for years, although death penalties are often commuted to life in prison on appeal at the Supreme Court. A special court was formed in September to expedite the dozens of pending cases. Agencies
