UN experts call for Pakistan to repeal blasphemy laws, protect religious minorities

UN experts call for Pakistan to repeal blasphemy laws, protect religious minorities

UN human rights experts on Thursday pressured the Pakistani government to implement more proactive measures to prevent “extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and assaults on cemeteries and places of worship” of religious minorities, particularly Ahmadiyya Muslims. “We are shocked at reports of increasing violence against vulnerable communities on grounds of their religion or belief,” experts stated. They claimed mass targeting of minors and…

Persecution by law: Religious minorities under siege in Pakistan

Pakistan’s draconian blasphemy laws have become a lethal tool for persecuting religious minorities. Enacted to punish “insults” to Islam with penalties up to death, these laws are increasingly misused to target Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis, Shia Muslims, and even the remnants of Pakistan’s Buddhist heritage. For instance, in January 2025, legal experts in Pakistan uncovered a