Photo: Wikipedia / Vivek Ravikumar (cc)
In late 2024, an investigation by the AFP news agency revealed that a startling number of Christians in Pakistan have been falsely accused of blasphemy by members of organized "vigilante groups" who intentionally deceived followers of Jesus into sharing content that was deemed blasphemous. (See this page for more details.)
In response to these allegations, the Islamabad High Court has called on the government to establish a commission that would investigate collusion between the Federal Investigation Agency and some militant Muslim clerics who seek to entrap innocent victims. The court recommended that the commission include experts in law, religion and technology.
Pakistan's blasphemy laws are overly broad, making them easy to exploit for wrongful personal or financial motives. According to Floyd Brobbel, CEO for Voice of the Martyrs Canada, "The way [the legislation is] written...anything can be turned into a blasphemy case." This is particularly true in cases against accused Christians who are uneducated and illiterate. If established, the newly proposed commission will hopefully investigate groups and individuals who fabricate evidence for their own vested interests.
- Pray that the many issues related to Pakistan's widely abused blasphemy laws would be thoroughly investigated, leading to positive changes within the country's legal system and policies.
- May those responsible for falsified blasphemy charges be held accountable for their wrongful actions and reach a point of sincere repentance.
- Ask the Lord to provide needed wisdom, direction and protection to His people as they interact with those around them, and to ensure that opposing militant groups and individuals will be prevented from deceiving or taking advantage of our Pakistani brothers and sisters in Christ.
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