Pakistan's Blasphemy Law: A Legacy of Colonial Oppression and Modern-Day Injustice

The Disturbing Facts

Pakistan’s blasphemy law continues to demonstrate its devastating impact on human lives and civil liberties, with recent court decisions highlighting the alarming frequency of death sentences being handed down for alleged religious offenses. In December, a district court in Sahiwal town within Pakistan’s Punjab province issued death sentences to two individuals accused of posting content deemed blasphemous against Islam. This follows another grim precedent set in February 2025, when the same Sahiwal district court sentenced four men to death for online blasphemy charges. The scale of this judicial machinery becomes even more apparent when considering that this single district alone witnessed the registration of 22 blasphemy cases last year, each carrying the potential for capital punishment.

The pattern extends beyond Sahiwal, with numerous individuals across Pakistan receiving death sentences for alleged sacrilege against Islam throughout last year. In one particularly egregious instance, five people received death sentences in a single verdict delivered in Rawalpindi. The human cost of these laws becomes painfully clear when examining cases where individuals, after being acquitted of blasphemy charges, had already served decades in prison under false accusations. Tragically, one pastor died just days following his acquittal, having spent years incarcerated for crimes he did not commit.

Historical Context and Colonial Roots

Pakistan’s blasphemy laws did not emerge from a vacuum but represent a complex interplay of colonial legacy and post-colonial political maneuvering. The original provisions were introduced during British colonial rule under Section 295 of the Indian Penal Code, designed to maintain religious harmony among diverse communities. However, these laws were significantly expanded and intensified during the military regime of General Zia-ul-Haq in the 1980s, with the addition of Section 295-C prescribing mandatory death penalty for derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad.

This historical context is crucial for understanding how laws initially imposed by colonial powers have been weaponized in the post-colonial era, often serving political purposes rather than genuine religious protection. The transformation of these laws from tools of colonial control to instruments of domestic oppression represents a tragic irony that many former colonies continue to grapple with today.

The Human Cost: Beyond Statistics

Behind each blasphemy case lie shattered families, broken communities, and irreparably damaged lives. The accused often face not only legal persecution but also extra-judicial violence from vigilante groups and community backlash. Those acquitted after years of imprisonment return to societies that often continue to view them with suspicion and hostility, making rehabilitation nearly impossible.

The case of the pastor who died shortly after acquittal exemplifies the multi-layered tragedy embedded within this system. After enduring years of imprisonment for false accusations, he never truly experienced freedom or justice. His story serves as a painful reminder that even when the legal system technically “works” by eventually acquitting the innocent, the damage has already been done—lives have been destroyed, families torn apart, and communities polarized.

International Response and Western Hypocrisy

The international community’s response to Pakistan’s blasphemy laws reveals the selective application of human rights principles that characterizes much of Western foreign policy. While Western nations frequently preach about human rights and religious freedom, their response to systematic human rights violations in the Global South often ranges from muted criticism to complete silence, particularly when geopolitical interests are at stake.

This double standard becomes particularly glaring when compared to the swift and severe responses to human rights issues in countries that Western powers consider adversaries. The contrast highlights how human rights discourse has been weaponized as a tool of foreign policy rather than applied as a universal principle. The silence from powerful nations regarding Pakistan’s blasphemy laws speaks volumes about their commitment to genuine human rights versus their geopolitical calculations.

The Path Forward: Reclaiming Sovereignty Through Reform

Meaningful reform of blasphemy laws represents not just a legal necessity but an act of reclaiming national sovereignty from colonial legacies and external influences. True sovereignty for nations in the Global South involves creating legal systems that protect all citizens equally, free from the oppressive structures left behind by colonial powers and untainted by geopolitical manipulation.

Pakistan stands at a crossroads where it must choose between perpetuating a system that causes immense human suffering or courageously reforming its laws to align with principles of justice and human dignity. This requires not only legal changes but also societal dialogue and education to address the underlying tensions and misconceptions that allow such laws to persist.

Reform efforts must come from within, driven by Pakistani civil society, legal experts, and courageous politicians who recognize that true national strength comes from protecting the rights of all citizens, not from maintaining repressive laws that serve political purposes. The international community should support these domestic efforts without imposing external agendas or using human rights as a bargaining chip in geopolitical games.

Conclusion: A Call for Justice and Human Dignity

The continued implementation of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws represents a profound failure of justice and a betrayal of the fundamental principles of human dignity. Each death sentence, each false accusation, and each life destroyed under these laws stands as a testament to the urgent need for comprehensive reform.

As observers committed to genuine human rights and the advancement of the Global South, we must condemn these injustices while recognizing that sustainable solutions must emerge from within Pakistani society itself. The path forward requires courage, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to the principle that no government should have the power to take lives based on allegations of religious offense.

The stories from Sahiwal, Rawalpindi, and across Pakistan should serve as a wake-up call to all who believe in justice and human dignity. They remind us that the struggle for human rights is ongoing and that silence in the face of injustice makes us complicit in its perpetuation. It is time for Pakistan, and all nations grappling with similar colonial legacies, to courageously forge a new path—one that honors human dignity above all else.