ers of Islamic political party Jamat-e-Islami hold placards bearing the name of the Prophet Muhammad during a protest after the Supreme Court acquitted Asia Bibi, a Christian accused of blasphemy, in Karachi, Pakistan, 04 November 2018. EFE-EPA/SHAHZAIB AKBER

Pakistan sentences man to death for blasphemy as cases surge

Islamabad, Feb 27 (EFE).- A court in Pakistan’s Lahore has sentenced a man to death for blasphemy, police said on Thursday, as the country has seen a sharp rise in such prosecutions, with hundreds of cases being ed in recent years.

Under Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty of insulting Islam or its religious figures can face the death penalty. However, while hundreds have been prosecuted, no one has been executed so far.

The rise in blasphemy cases has particularly impacted Christians and other religious minorities, with Muslim vigilantes reportedly colluding with federal investigators to target them, said the NCHR report, released in October last year.

Pakistan saw three times as many blasphemy cases in the first seven months of 2024 compared to all of 2023, according to the NCHR investigation. EFE

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