The National Assembly of Pakistan has increased the punishment for disrespecting “sacred personalities.”
On January 17th, The National Assembly unanimously passed the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill to increase punishment for the disrespect of Ahl-e-Bait, Khulfa-e-Rashideen, Sahaba-e-Kiram, and Ummahatul Momineen.
Cases of custodial torture in blasphemy cases raise concern among Pakistani rights activists.
Human rights activists in Pakistan have urged the authorities to modify some of the principles of criminal justice to ensure the grounds for fair trials and express their concern about the rapid increase in cases of custodial torture in the country.
On November 1, a federal court in Pakistan instructed an officer representing Baluchistan Province to submit a report regarding the marriage of a five-year-old girl in his district, as well as an overview of the practice of child marriage and what steps are being taken to stop it.
The Pakistani Taliban declared an end to the ceasefire agreed with the Pakistani government last June and commanded its fighters to carry out attacks all over the country.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, cited the Pakistani military’s increasing operations against them in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the primary reason for their decision to end the ceasefire with the government.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) declared that it would not apply the blasphemy law regarding dreams. Individuals can neither be judged for what they see in their dreams nor for sharing their thoughts, visions, and emotions with others during those times.
On July 1, Pakistan Police arrested 27 Samsung employees at a mobile store after a mob turned violent at the Star City mall in Karachi. Protests began after a WiFi device was installed at the mall, which allegedly made blasphemous remarks against the Prophet Muhammad and his companions. In retaliation, a violent crowd gathered at the spot and damaged signboards and goods.
Pakistan's Blasphemy law has ruined many and sometimes taken lives since the country declared independence. In a recent hearing, a Christian believer named Ashfaq Masih, a mechanic was sentenced to death for blasphemy. The man was accused of insulting Prophet Muhammad by saying, "Jesus is supreme."
Pakistan’s former prime minister, Imran Khan, has been charged with blasphemy along with 150 others, including Khan’s top allies. The police confirmed the First Incident Report (FIR) on Sunday, May 1, 2022.
On Monday, April 18, Pakistan’s anti-terrorism court in Lahore sentenced six men to death, while nine people were handed life imprisonment sentences. The court also gave a 5-year imprisonment sentence to one individual, while 72 individuals were given a 2-year jail sentence.
