Manfred Van H. - Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan has the anti-blasphemy laws that are quite complicated. Offenders may be vigorously prosecuted. Chapter XV of Pakistan Penal Code deals with "offences relating to religion":

• §295. Injuring or defiling place of worship, with intent to insult the religion of any class.
• §295-A. Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting Its religion or religious beliefs.
• §295-B. Defiling, etc., of Holy Qur'an.
• §295-C. Use of derogatory remarks, etc., in respect of the Holy Prophet.
• §296. Disturbing religious assembly.
• §297. Trespassing on burial places, etc.
• §298. Uttering words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings.
• §298-A. Use of derogatory remarks, etc., in respect of holy personages.
• §298-B. Misuse of epithets, descriptions and titles, etc., reserved for certain holy personages or places.
• §298-C. Person of Quadiani group, etc., calling himself a Muslim or preaching or propagating his faith:

There is a Death Penalty for blasphemy in Pakistan. Those prosecuted are usually minorities such as Ahmadiyya and Christians but it seems that they are also increasingly Muslims. Persons accused of blasphemy as well as police, lawyers, and judges have been subject to harassment, threats, attacks, and murders when blasphemy is the issue.

In November 2008, Pakistan's government appointed Shahbaz Bhatti as Federal Minister for Minorities and gave him cabinet rank. Bhatti had promised that the Asif Ali Zardari government would review Pakistan's blasphemy laws. Pakistan has been an active supporter of the campaign by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to create global laws against blasphemy. Minister Bhatti was shot dead on 2 March 2011 in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.