New York
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are being exploited to facilitate land grabs, blackmail, and forced evictions, especially targeting religious minorities, reveals a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The 29-page report, titled “A Conspiracy to Grab the Land: Exploiting Pakistan’s Blasphemy Laws for Blackmail and Profit,” exposes how false blasphemy accusations incite mob violence, displace communities, and enable illegal property seizures without due process.
HRW interviewed 14 accused individuals, lawyers, judges, police officials, human rights activists, and journalists across five districts—Lahore, Gujranwala, Kasur, Sheikhupura, and Islamabad—between May 2024 and January 2025. Patricia Gossman, HRW’s associate Asia director, urged the Pakistani government to urgently reform these laws to stop their misuse for personal vendettas and oppression of marginalized groups.
Most accused belong to religious minorities like Christians and Ahmadis. In many cases, entire communities fled after accusations, especially where residents lacked formal land ownership. These displacements often led to forced property sales or illegal seizures.
The report cites incidents such as a Christian beautician in Lahore attacked by a mob after a blasphemy claim, and a Christian school owner threatened with violence over alleged offensive remarks by a teacher. It also recalls the 2013 Joseph Colony attack where over 100 homes were destroyed following a blasphemy accusation, with the accused acquitted years later. Local residents alleged the attack was aimed at displacing the community for land seizure. HRW condemns the lack of prosecution against those inciting violence and calls for the repeal of blasphemy laws and the release of detainees.