In a country where unproven allegations of blasphemy result in mob lynchings, the Lahore High Court Bar Association has called on the government to take action against social media users for sharing ‘blasphemous’ content online.
The development comes following a report by the ‘Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan’ wherein it claimed that there were 400,000 social media users in Pakistan committing blasphemy online.
Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) Secretary Sabahat Rizvi quoted a report by ‘Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan’, saying that there were allegedly more than 400,000 people in Pakistan who are sharing ‘blasphemous’ content online in a notification making rounds on social media.
She has urged the government authorities to take action against these social media users.
Pakistan is preparing for another crackdown on ex-Muslims and atheists in #Pakistan. According to this notification issued by the Lahore High Court Bar Association, there are reportedly 400,000 blasphemers within Pakistan’s borders who have allegedly shared blasphemous pic.twitter.com/hmtMJRVfPs
— Harris Sultan – حارٽ سلطان (@HSultanURDU) April 8, 2023
In the notification, the bar association lauded the efforts of ‘Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan’ for gathering this data.
The notification further stated that so far 119 ‘blasphemers’ have been arrested by the FIA Cyber Crime Unit under the blasphemy law.
“11 people have been sentenced to death, while all the remaining cases are pending. However, the courts have not granted bail in any of the registered cases,” it added.
The lawyers’ association also urged the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to take measures on social media to curtail ‘blasphemous’ content.
“PTA is urged to filter out ‘blasphemous’ content,” the notification read.
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws mostly target religious minorities and is generally used to settle personal scores.
According to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ)’s Human Rights Observer 2023, an annual fact sheet, in 2022, at least 171 people were accused of committing blasphemy with 65 per cent of the cases being reported from Punjab while 19 per cent being reported from Sindh. Among 171 people, 88 were Muslims, 75 Ahmadis, four Christians, and two Hindus, while the identities of the others could not be ascertained.
The report notes the law disproportionately impacts minority groups.
