Online Blasphemy Scams Destroying Lives In Pakistan
KARACHI, Pakistan — An elderly man and his wife were forced to leave their home and move to another area, away from their community and familiar surroundings. The reason behind this drastic decision is the blasphemy lawsuit against their son, which has drawn the attention of extremist groups and threatened their life.
“We never knew our son would be caught up in such a case. He is not even guilty, but everyone around us considers him guilty. It's so hard for us to bear the weight of this accusation,” said the elderly man, who did not want to be identified.
Blasphemy laws in Pakistan are a set of legislative provisions that forbid statements or actions that are considered offensive to Islam or its sacred figures. These rules — principally found in Sections 295 to 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code — inflict severe punishments, including life imprisonment and even the death penalty under Section 295-C for defaming the Prophet Muhammad. These laws were introduced during British colonial control and later expanded during General Zia-ul-Haq’s Islamization of the country.
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Both local and international organizations have highlighted widespread misuse of Pakistan's blasphemy laws. According to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), a rights organization, at least 344 persons were accused of blasphemy in 2024 alone, with Muslims accounting for 70%, Ahmadis 14%, Hindus 9% and Christians 6%, respectively.
A large number of these occurrences occurred in Punjab, including in the city of Sheikhupura (32 cases) and Lahore (28 cases). Similarly, between 1987 and 2021, Human Rights Without Frontiers reported 1,865 blasphemy accusations, with Punjab accounting for 76% of the instances.
International watchdog groups have expressed similar concerns. Human Rights Watch revealed this past June how the laws are frequently utilized for blackmail, land grabs and personal retribution — particularly in places such as Lahore, Gujranwala, Kasur and Sheikhupura. The report featured interviews with lawyers, officials and 14 falsely-accused people who were imprisoned for months or years without trial. Amnesty International has also cautioned that ambiguous legal language, a lack of protections and a trend of mob violence have turned the blasphemy laws into tools of terror and repression, suppressing dissent and threatening both minorities and Muslims alike.
The elderly man who spoke to Religion Unplugged is not the only victim of these laws. There have been over 700 similar cases involving people from different parts of Pakistan since 2020 — prosecuted for transferring blasphemous content, which is reportedly linked to pornographic material with Islamic themes. The accused claim they did not create or share such content, but were lured into these private online groups and falsely charged.
According to a report by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), as of July 2024, 767 cases of such nature pertaining to blasphemy had been filed. The statistics show a notable rise in these occurrences from year to year: 11 in 2020, nine in 2021, 64 in 2022, 213 in 2023 and a dramatic surge to 475 by Feb. 22, 2024, which increased to 767 by the end of July of that year.
The provincial breakdown of these incidents, as of July 25, 2024, shows that Punjab had 581 cases, the most of any province. Sindh accounted for 120, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had 64 and Balochistan with only two.
Online scams and extortion
These incidents involve a group of people who target various young people. The structured group’s name is “Blasphemy Business,” according to a Special Branch report from the Punjab Police.
The gang consists of lawyers, religious leaders and businessmen who work together to trap young people, frequently using women to entice them into compromising positions. These groups use private messaging platforms like WhatsApp, with access to the content is limited to those who are invited to join.
However, the group’s name and purpose are changed overnight to something blasphemous, with illegal content circulated. Some people leave the group right away, while others continue as passive members, either because they aren't active or don't notice the content.
The women then contact these persons, enquiring about the type of stuff that has come through and requesting a screenshot. She also offers them bribes or incentives, such as career prospects, sexual benefits, business investments or even relocation to another country.
Once the victims are lured in, they are kidnapped, their mobile devices confiscated and incriminating evidence planted on them. This planted evidence is later used against them in court, and Section 11 of PECA (hate speech) and Sections 295-A, B and C of the Pakistan Penal Code are charged in these cases. The blackmailed victims are then accused of blasphemy.
Hadi Ali Chattha, a lawyer who represents 67 clients in such cases, noted, “Beyond financial factors, the group's goals include increasing its influence in religious and corporate circles. Lawyers seeking election to bar associations are also targeted, and the group is massively supported by groups such as [the political party] Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan.”
There was one case, Noor Fatima v. Federation of Pakistan, in which 101 families petitioned the courts, arguing that their children were ensnared by theses blasphemy law by a woman in exchange for extortion. The Islamabad High Court is currently hearing the case.
For greater transparency and to make it easier for people to follow the cases, the court ordered a live stream of the proceedings. According to court proceedings, Komal Ismail allegedly used the alias “Imaan” to contact 14 people who are currently facing blasphemy charges. The Islamabad High Court ordered the Federal Investigation Agency to track down and apprehend Ismail. The decision was made at a hearing on a petition submitted by the relatives of 101 defendants in cyber blasphemy cases.
According to Chattha, there has been no accountability up to now and no gang members have yet been detained. At the same time, the shift towards live-streaming court proceedings by Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan has brought transparency and public awareness to these cases. As a result, people are becoming more informed about the legal issues and the questionable validity of these cases.
Helping to ‘reduce the risk’
The Islamabad High Court ordered on July 15 to establish a commission this summer to look into the abuse of the nation’s blasphemy laws. The committee can ask intelligence agencies like the FIA and ISI for assistance in accessing digital data. The court ordered that the commission finish its findings within the year.
According to the victim’s families, the FIA and these violent gangs frighten them, warning that speaking up would result in serious consequences. Instead, they were instructed to silently pay money in order to ensure their family member's release.
According to the brother of one victim: “The gang and the FIA have been requesting [money] in return for better treatment. Since it was our first time dealing with such a delicate and serious accusation, we complied with their demands. We didn’t want to disclose this earlier because we didn’t want to further complicate the case. But at this point, we have to reveal that they have taken money from us on several occasions.”
The families were also warned that if they communicated this information with others, it would spread throughout their community, resulting in mob violence, property damage and even death.
“The treatment of our clients is particularly concerning,” Chattha said. “Even before their guilt is proven, they are often treated as convicted criminals, living in death row-like conditions and facing harsh treatment. For security reasons, they are confined to metal vehicles during court appearances for extended periods, regardless of the weather.”
Chattha also warned users in Pakistan to avoid online content that could be deemed blasphemous and to report the group to platforms like Facebookto the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.
“In Pakistan, it is crucial to block or restrict access to these groups to prevent people from joining or accessing them,” Chattha said. “By doing so, we can reduce the risk of individuals being exposed to harmful content and prevent potential misuse of these groups for illegal activities.”
Jamaima Afridi is a dedicated freelance journalist from Pakistan who focuses on topics such as women's issues, religious freedom, climate change and refugees. Recognized nationally and internationally, she earned acclaim for her impactful storytelling, winning awards like the Lorenzo Natali Prize, #TFYoungJournalist and the Youth Impact Award for her contributions to human rights and religious freedom.