Pakistan’s blasphemy laws have become a tool of systematic coercion, allowing organised religious groups and their allies to intimidate judges, prosecutors, police, and politicians, effectively holding the justice system and wider state machinery hostage. This “blasphemy complex” relies on fear of mob violence, targeted killings, and economic blackmail to paralyse institutions […]
A Digital Weaponization of Faith Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, once framed as safeguards for religious sanctity, are increasingly exploited as tools of fear, control, and profit. Human rights groups now describe a growing “blasphemy business,” in which fabricated screenshots, doctored images, fake social media accounts, and false witness statements are used to […]
On the humid morning of August 6, police arrived at a small home in Hujra Shah Muqeem, Okara District, Punjab. Inside lived Rasheed Masih, a 48-year-old Christian father battling severe depression. Within hours, he was in handcuffs — accused of blasphemy, terrorism, and sedition. His arrest, a chilling symbol of how […]