New York [US], June 9 : Pakistan's blasphemy laws are being used to facilitate land grabs, blackmail, and forced evictions, particularly targeting religious minorities, according to a report released by Human Rights Watch on June 8.
The 29-page report, titled "A Conspiracy to Grab the Land: Exploiting Pakistan's Blasphemy Laws for Blackmail and Profit," documents how blasphemy accusations are being used to incite mob violence, displace minority communities, and seize property without due process.
Human Rights Watch stated that it interviewed 14 individuals accused of blasphemy, along with lawyers, prosecutors, judges, police officials, human rights activists, and journalists in five districts--Lahore, Gujranwala, Kasur, Sheikhupura, and Islamabad--between May 2024 and January 2025.
"The Pakistani government should urgently reform its blasphemy laws to prevent them from being weaponised to blackmail rivals, settle personal scores, and attack marginalised communities," said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch, in the report.
The organisation found that many of those accused under blasphemy laws belong to religious minority groups such as Christians and Ahmadis. In several cases, entire communities were forced to flee after accusations were made, particularly where residents lacked formal land titles. Human Rights Watch reported that such displacements often led to illegal seizure or forced sale of property.
One case documented involved a Christian beautician in Lahore who, after opening a new salon, was attacked by a mob allegedly led by a local cleric following a blasphemy accusation. In another case, a Christian school owner was reportedly threatened with violence and told to pay to "atone" after a teacher at his school was accused of making offensive remarks.
In a widely reported incident from 2013, a mob destroyed over 100 homes in Joseph Colony, Lahore, after a Christian man, Sawan Masih, was accused of blasphemy. He was later acquitted in 2020. According to Human Rights Watch, local activists and residents alleged the attack aimed to displace the community and seize the land.
The report states that Pakistani authorities rarely prosecute those responsible for inciting violence and have failed to implement safeguards to prevent misuse of blasphemy laws. Human Rights Watch called for the repeal of the laws and the release of those detained under them.