Islamabad, July 22 (IANS) A leading minority rights group on Wednesday accused Pakistan of failing to curb the misuse of blasphemy laws, citing false allegations, widespread mob violence against the accused and failure to protect the minorities from their consequences. According to the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), the blasphemy laws remain among Pakistan’s most “controversial issues”, with their impact on religious minorities and the continued failure of institutions to prevent their mis…
Latest Blasphemy laws News & Updates
Tel Aviv, July 18 (IANS) The European Union’s (EU) latest assessment of Pakistan on trade preferences under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP Plus) granted by the EU resembles a carefully prepared chargesheet rather than a routine monitoring report, highlighting the worsening human rights record in the country.It places Pakistan’s democratic trajectory under heightened international scrutiny, while warning that future trade preferences may ultimately rest on genuine institution…
Brussels, July 17 (IANS) The European Union has expressed serious concerns over human rights abuses in Pakistan, warning that the country’s continued access to the trade benefits under Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) granted by the EU will depend on compliance with its international commitments under the revised GSP rules from 2027.In its latest joint monitoring report for the 2023-2025 period, the European Commission and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Securit…
Islamabad, July 15 (IANS) A leading minority rights organisation expressed grave concern over the misuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, alleging that accusations are increasingly being weaponised to settle scores, seize property, and target minorities in the country. According to the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), a dangerous pattern resurfaced in Karachi on July 9 after a desecrated page of the Quran was allegedly mailed to a shop along with photographs of a Christian man, Azeem Javaid, and …
Islamabad, July 14 (IANS) Poor and marginalised communities, especially Christians prosecuted under the Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws, have been affected by corruption in Pakistan’s criminal justice system, a report has detailed. The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisation, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), stated in a report that many Christians accused of blasphemy in Pakistan are not able to get effective legal representation or cha…
Islamabad, July 4 (IANS) A leading minority rights organisation expressed grave concern over the custodial death of a Christian man in Pakistan who was accused under the country’s blasphemy laws, saying the allegations against him were never heard in court and his guilt was never proven.According to the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), the death of 61-year-old retired government employee Amir Peter on July 1 is a “stark indictment of a system where accusation becomes punishment, and delayed …
Islamabad, May 30 (IANS) Pakistan’s relevance on the global platform does not rest on neutrality or credibility. Any diplomatic process particularly involving Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Israel where Islamabad seeks a decisive role should be approached with strict limits, hard verification, and deep skepticism, a report has highlighted. According to a report in Counterpoint, Pakistan is attempting to portray itself as an “indispensable diplomatic broker”, including in US-Iran negotiations. Howev…
Islamabad, May 24 (IANS) A church leader has accused Pakistani police of not following the Supreme Court’s order to arrest all suspects involved in the attacks that took place on multiple churches and Christian homes in Jaranwala area of Pakistan’s Punjab province in 2023, a report has stated. The Rev. Khalid Mukhtar, whose parish house was among the properties destroyed in the violence, said authorities made little progress despite the Supreme Court’s orders on March 31, where it directed polic…
Islamabad, May 5 (IANS) Even though the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recently urged the US government to redesignate Pakistan as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), the persecution of Christians continues to rise in Pakistan, demonstrating the urgent need for an international response, a report has highlighted. Extremist groups in Pakistan have been attacking not only places of worship but entire communities, Mission Network News stated.”They [extremists] will att…
Colombo, April 23 (IANS) The Christian community in Pakistan continues to face severe discrimination, untouchability and oppression due to persistent misuse of blasphemy laws, societal intolerance and recurrent mob violence while state response has been inadequate, with little accountability for perpetrators, a report has stated. As minorities, Christians face many challenges in Pakistan, from experiencing discrimination every day to the threat of deadly violence. On April 11, a 25-year-old Chri…