7/21/2025 Pakistan (International Christian Concern) — On July 15, the Islamabad High Court took a bold step, ordering the federal government to form a commission within 30 days to investigate the growing misuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. The court also directed that the inquiry be completed in four months.

This landmark decision comes during a case that’s shaking the nation, an investigation into what’s now being called the “blasphemy business.” Fake blasphemy charges have been used to extort, silence, and destroy lives, mainly targeting the young and vulnerable.

The issue came to light earlier this year when Punjab Police’s Special Branch quietly submitted a report called The Blasphemy Business. The report revealed that a network operating under the name “Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan” was trapping people online with fake blasphemy content and then working with certain FIA officials in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to demand bribes in exchange for dropping charges.

This group is allegedly behind 90% of the FIA’s blasphemy cases since 2021. Shockingly, some of the people involved are linked to extremist groups like Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). They’ve not only abused existing laws, but they’ve been pushing to make the laws even harsher.

Initially introduced by British rulers to avoid religious conflict, Pakistan’s blasphemy laws became much stricter in 1986 during General Zia-ul-Haq’s regime, including the death penalty for insulting the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

However, throughout the years, these laws have been used as a means of oppression. According to the Centre for Social Justice, nearly 2,800 people have been accused since 1987. And from 1994 to 2024, 104 people lost their lives in mob violence linked to these accusations.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan now says this system of abuse is deeply organized, with more than 450 people trapped by fake accusations, often involving the police or legal professionals. In many cases, victims were baited into receiving or reacting to blasphemous content and then blackmailed, threatened, or arrested.

“It shows what happens when laws aren’t kept in check,” said Rev. Shehzad Gill, a senior chaplain for the Church of Pakistan. “They stop protecting people and start being used against them.”

In Pakistan, accusations of blasphemy can be life-threatening. Some, like Asia Bibi, spent years on death row. Others, like Priyantha Kumar and Shama Shehzad, were killed by angry mobs before any trial.

The government has attempted in the past to implement checks, such as requiring senior police officers to review serious accusations, but these rules are often disregarded. A 2014 Supreme Court ruling also mandated steps to protect minorities, including monitoring hate speech and establishing a national council for minority rights. These reforms, however, are still mostly on paper.

Now, rights groups are calling for action. The National Commission for Human Rights is urging the government to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation. They want a Joint Investigation Team to not only investigate the abuse of laws but also give victims’ families a voice, educate the public on religious sensitivity, and recommend fair procedures moving forward.

In a rare step toward transparency, the Islamabad High Court has begun live-streaming its hearings, allowing the public to see what is happening.

This case has opened the door to long-overdue accountability. It’s more than a court order; it’s a moment of truth. If handled right, it could help rebuild public trust, protect the innocent, and lead to fundamental legal reforms in Pakistan.

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