[Today's Prayer] Pakistan: Blasphemy Cases Decline to 13 This Year, but Christians Remain Fearful

The number of cases registered under blasphemy accusations in Pakistan has reportedly declined significantly this year. As the military has intensified its crackdown on hardline Islamist groups, related riots and attacks have also decreased. However, religious minorities, including Christians, continue to fear false accusations and mob violence. Concerns have also been raised that official statistics alone are insufficient to determine whether religious freedom in the country has genuinely improved.

International Christian Concern (ICC), an organization that monitors the persecution of Christians, stated in a report on Pakistan released on the 3rd (local time) that despite the decline in blasphemy accusations, the misuse of blasphemy laws and the vulnerability of religious minorities remain unresolved issues.

Citing an August 6 report by Reuters, ICC reported that the number of blasphemy cases registered in Pakistan had fallen to 13 this year. According to data from ACLED (Armed Conflict Location and Event Data), blasphemy-related riots and attacks have also decreased to just one incident over the past 12 months. This represents a significant decline compared to the annual average of more than seven incidents between 2021 and 2024.

ICC explained that these changes have coincided with the Pakistani military's intensified crackdown on hardline Islamist groups. However, it emphasized that the decline in blasphemy accusations does not mean that the abuse of these laws or religious extremism has fundamentally disappeared.

(Omitted)

An incident reported by Reuters in Karachi illustrates both the recent changes and the dangers that remain. In July, a blasphemy accusation involving a Christian family in Karachi, Pakistan, began to spread, prompting a crowd of hundreds to gather outside the family's home. At the time, four women and one child were inside the house.

Police arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control before the crowd could attack the home. Police officer Sanghar Ali Malik urged the crowd to disperse, stating, "No religion allows anyone to take the law into their own hands."

Reuters noted that hardline Islamist groups that had previously led blasphemy-related riots were notably absent from the scene. Subsequent preliminary investigations revealed that the blasphemy accusations targeting the family were baseless.

However, ICC pointed out that even false blasphemy accusations can lead to mob violence and retaliation. Since 1990, approximately 90 lynching incidents related to blasphemy accusations have been recorded in Pakistan.

(Omitted)

ICC explained that blasphemy accusations have been an issue that has fueled violence and political conflict in Pakistani society for decades. The number of blasphemy accusations recorded in 2024 was more than 40 times higher than in 2020, with the number of cases fluctuating significantly over time.

The report also raised concerns about financial extortion carried out through blasphemy accusations. This criminal practice, known as the "Blasphemy Business," has reportedly involved individuals affiliated with Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Some victims were falsely portrayed as having made or supported blasphemous statements on social media and were subsequently pressured to pay money. There have also been cases of individuals dying while being interrogated in unofficial detention facilities.

(Omitted)

ICC explained that the military's recent crackdown has not focused on amending or abolishing the blasphemy laws themselves, but rather on suppressing the activities of hardline groups seeking to enforce these laws through street-level violence.

Christians, who make up approximately 2% of Pakistan's population, have been disproportionately exposed to blasphemy accusations relative to their share of the population.

(Omitted)

ICC pointed out that religious minorities, including Christians, Shia Muslims, and the Ahmadiyya community, often lack sufficient political and institutional influence to effectively defend themselves when accused of blasphemy.

(Omitted)

ICC explained that the influence of the hardline Islamist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has played a role in the background of the recent crackdown.

TLP is a major hardline religious political party that has mobilized political support around the issue of blasphemy. The Pakistani government banned TLP following violent protests in October 2025. However, the group had previously been banned in 2021 due to violent activities, only for the ban to be lifted later that same year.

Hamza, a Pakistani Muslim reformist quoted in the report, stated, "Even if an organization is restricted or comes under pressure, the emotions and networks built around this issue do not disappear overnight."

ICC warned that although blasphemy accusations have declined this year, the relevant laws remain unchanged, meaning that accusations could surge again under the same legal and social conditions. It further called for the abolition of blasphemy laws, the guarantee of due process for the accused, and accountability for mob violence and acts committed with impunity.

Source: Christian Today Korea

"I will also clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy." (Psalm 132:16)

We hear the news that although the number of cases registered under blasphemy accusations in Pakistan has declined significantly this year, religious minorities, including Christians, continue to live in fear of false accusations and mob violence. Therefore, it remains difficult to conclude that religious freedom in the country has genuinely improved.

God, have compassion on the Christians of Pakistan who, for decades, have faced threats to their lives because of false blasphemy accusations and have lived in fear and anxiety. Watch over and protect them, and grant them the peace of the Lord.

In Pakistan, where political and social conflicts continue as a result of false Islamic beliefs being used to justify violence and the abuse of relevant laws, may the hardline Islamist groups lose their power. May the Pakistani government protect the lives of all its citizens and fulfill its role as a leader in accordance with God's justice and Word.

Even amid persecution of religious minorities and the cold attitudes of society, may the local churches in Pakistan rely solely on the Lord and remain steadfast in their faith until the end. May they rise as holy priests, clothed in salvation, and boldly proclaim the truth of Christ to the people of Pakistan and all nations.

Furthermore, may the global Church not become complacent simply because the number of blasphemy accusation cases in Pakistan has declined. Instead, may churches around the world share in the suffering of the local church through prayer and go forth to Pakistan, carrying the message of life and the Gospel of the one and only truth.

May Pakistan break free from the chains of Islam and joyfully proclaim the name of Jesus Christ, who came as the Light, among all nations!