ISLAMABAD — A disturbing trend is gripping Pakistan: blasphemy accusations fueled by unverified digital content, leading to a spike in death sentences. Human rights advocates are calling it a ‘blasphemy business,’ where fabricated screenshots, manipulated images, and false testimonies trap innocent people in a web of terror.
In a landmark ruling last December, the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench acquitted six individuals previously sentenced to life imprisonment or death in a digital blasphemy case. The court found no credible link between the accused and the alleged online material. This decision highlighted the growing menace of unproven digital evidence in cases carrying the death penalty.
The vulnerable—religious minorities and the poor—are prime targets. Intermediaries often extort money to drop charges or broker settlements. Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, particularly Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code mandating death for insulting Prophet Muhammad, create a volatile atmosphere. Mere allegations can trigger arrests, mob violence, or extrajudicial killings. Data shows at least 104 such murders since 1994.
Complicity from radical groups like Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and even some Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials has been alleged. Complaints are filed without forensic verification, treating social media screenshots as ironclad proof. The case of Shagufta Kiran, a Christian mother of four, exemplifies the horror. Arrested in 2021 for forwarding a WhatsApp message with objectionable content, she was sentenced to death in September 2024 after a three-year trial. She awaits appeal on death row.
This scourge exposes institutional failures and turns blasphemy charges into tools for intimidation and extortion. Christians, Ahmadis, Hindus, Sikhs, and Shia Muslims remain most at risk, underscoring the urgent need for legal reforms to curb this deadly misuse.