Washington: The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urged the Trump Administration to work with Pakistan to amend or repeal its blasphemy law, warning that the statute remains a central driver of mob attacks, wrongful imprisonment, and escalating threats against Christians, Ahmadiyya Muslims, and other religious minorities.
The renewed call followed Pakistan’s recent ban on the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a hardline group known for mobilising violent crowds in the name of defending blasphemy provisions.
USCIRF said the TLP has “incited violent mobs to intimidate and attack religious minorities, even calling for the death penalty as punishment for violating blasphemy laws.”
The commission noted that these actions have long endangered Pakistan’s non-Muslim communities and Ahmadis, who remain legally restricted from identifying as Muslims in the country. Such mobilisation, it said, has helped create an atmosphere in which accusations—frequently unverified—can spark neighbourhood riots or targeted killings.
“Holding perpetrators of religious freedom violations accountable is a key component of FoRB,” USCIRF Vice Chair Asif Mahmood said. “Using violence or incitement against religious minorities is never a legitimate path for political or civic engagement. People hiding behind the guise of political parties or activity must be held accountable when they call for violence.”
Beyond the legal penalties attached to blasphemy charges, USCIRF highlighted the profound social consequences of a system where allegations are often wielded as weapons. It said Pakistani citizens have used blasphemy accusations “to settle inter-personal disputes,” frequently triggering “extrajudicial killings and mob violence disproportionately impacting religious minorities.”
The commission urged Washington to consider a binding agreement with Islamabad under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) to encourage specific corrective steps. Those measures include releasing individuals imprisoned for blasphemy, curbing abuses linked to vigilante groups, and ultimately repealing the country’s blasphemy laws.
“Currently, those imprisoned under blasphemy charges often face lengthy sentences on death row or in solitary confinement,” Commissioner Meir Soloveichik said. “We urge the Trump Administration to work with Pakistani authorities to seek the release of those accused of blasphemy, and to hold accountable individuals who participate in vigilante violence.”
USCIRF’s 2025 Annual Report recommended that the US State Department redesignate Pakistan as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for “systematic, ongoing, and egregious” religious-freedom violations. Such a designation places a country among the most severe violators globally and can trigger diplomatic or economic pressure mechanisms.
The commission also cited a detailed country update released in September, noting “escalating attacks against religious minorities” and a worsening climate for communities who already face structural discrimination and political marginalisation.
Pakistan’s blasphemy law—particularly Section 295-C, which carries a death sentence—has drawn sustained criticism from global rights advocates for decades. While Pakistan has yet to execute the provision, dozens of accused individuals remain on death row. Many others have been assaulted or killed by mobs before their cases reach the courts.
(IANS)
