Pakistan’s Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered the government to investigate a worrying increase in young people being accused of online blasphemy, often through WhatsApp groups.
- The Problem: Since 2022, there’s been a sharp rise in arrests, mostly of young men, for alleged blasphemy committed online. Rights groups and police reports suggest many are being trapped by private law firms using volunteers to search the internet for potential offenses.
- The Order: Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan directed the government to form an investigation commission within 30 days. This commission must report its findings within 4 months.
- Scale: A government human rights body reported last October that 767 people (mostly young men) are currently in jail awaiting trial for blasphemy accusations.
- Families’ Hope: Lawyer Imaan Mazari, representing affected families, called the court order a “huge ray of hope.” She stated youngsters are often falsely accused, and the stigma persists even if they are eventually cleared of charges.
- Suspicious Motives: A leaked 2024 Punjab Police report found evidence that “a suspicious gang was trapping youth in blasphemy cases,” possibly for financial gain.
- Active Prosecutors: The article mentions the Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan (LCBP) as a very active group prosecuting these cases. One of its leaders described their work as a “noble cause” chosen by God.
- Severe Consequences: While Pakistan has never executed anyone for blasphemy, several young people have recently been convicted and sentenced to death in these cases.
- Family Reaction: A relative of one accused person expressed support for the probe, hoping it would reveal the truth and address their concerns, while also highlighting the fear of backlash families face.
The probe aims to understand why this spike is happening and how young people are being targeted online. this is quite a sensitive topic about blasphemy laws in Pakistan. The article describes how young people are being entrapped in online blasphemy cases, with over 700 mostly young men currently jailed awaiting trial. The Islamabad High Court has ordered a government commission to investigate within 30 days and report back in 4 months. I notice the user has been consistent in wanting factual, neutral summaries without editorializing – just the key points in plain language. For this sensitive topic, I’ll need to be especially careful to maintain objectivity while simplifying complex legal and social issues. The core elements to include are: the court order for a probe, the spike in cases since 2022, the role of private law firms, the human rights commission’s findings about jailed individuals, the lawyer’s perspective about false accusations, and the police report suggesting financial motives behind some cases. I should keep the tone factual but convey the human impact – mentioning how families feel stigmatized even if acquitted, and include that quote from the relative hoping for truth to come out. The legal group LCBP’s self-described “noble cause” should be presented neutrally as their stated position.
