The state of religious freedom in Pakistan is increasingly more dire. Individuals from religious minority groups face pervasive discrimination and sustained persecution for their beliefs. They are frequently accused of allegations of blasphemy on the basis of the country’s infamous blasphemy laws, which are now often enforced in tandem with the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) that empowers the state to exert comprehensive control over social media. Pakistani citizens belonging to the Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Shia, Ahmadi, and Kalash religious communities face systemic discrimination and endure harassment, entrapment in fabricated blasphemy allegations, mob violence, lynchings, targeted killings, forced conversions, arbitrary detention, and destruction of property, including their places of worship and cemeteries. Extremism, the swift dissemination of misinformation and disinformation, especially across digital platforms, and the weaponization of social media against religious minorities play a significant role in exacerbating religious intolerance in a landscape already hostile to religious freedom.
This report from the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH) examines the state of religious freedom in Pakistan in 2024 and the first half of 2025, highlighting the rise in violence against religious minorities and the patterns of such violence during this period. The report provides an in-depth analysis of key issues, concerns, and challenges related to religious freedom and freedom of belief. The report also presents recommendations, primarily for the government of Pakistan, but also for the international community and technology stakeholders, to uphold religious freedom and strengthen mechanisms of accountability.
Accusations of blasphemy remain a central concern in the Pakistani context. According to the country’s blasphemy laws, individuals considered guilty of desecrating the Quran, insulting Islam, or the Prophet Muhammad face imprisonment, hefty fines, and even the death penalty. Blasphemy is an offense considered beyond redemption both legally and socially. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in its most recent report noted the growth of a “blasphemy business” racket, wherein individuals are trapped in fabricated blasphemy cases, often online, and extorted for money. The perpetrators are part of networks, which often include government officials, that trap people into situations where they can be falsely accused of blasphemy. This growing phenomenon is a major concern for religious minorities in Pakistan, whose lives are already marked by a condition of precariousness.
Although no death sentences have thus far been meted out for blasphemy, allegations of the transgression frequently trigger riots that incite mob violence and often result in fatalities. In February 2024, a woman in Lahore, whose kurta featured the word “hilwa” meaning beautiful in Arabic, barely escaped a mob in the market after a man accused her of wearing Quranic scripture. In May 2024, a mob in Punjab Province attacked a 72-year-old Christian man after accusing him of desecrating pages of the Quran. He later died at a hospital after succumbing to his injuries. A month later, in June 2024, a mob in Madyan, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Province, broke into a police station and lynched a tourist visiting from Punjab Province who was being held there on the basis of allegations that he had desecrated the Quran.
Allegations of blasphemy and ensuing mob violence have consistently affected minority communities to a grave effect, resulting in widespread fear and attacks. During 2023 and 2024, the Pakistani Christian community, particularly in Punjab Province, saw an upsurge in violence related to blasphemy allegations. Mobs burnt churches, destroyed property, and murdered individuals, devastating the lives of Christian communities.
Concerns regarding religious freedom, however, extend beyond allegations of blasphemy. Forced conversions to Islam also remain a pressing issue, particularly affecting girls and women from religious minority communities. The Center for the Study of Organized Hate has also noted another concerning trend of men from religious minorities in Pakistan being compelled to convert to Islam, risking death if they resist.
Ahmadiyyas in Pakistan face significant challenges in practicing their faith, as they risk being targeted by blasphemy laws. Members of the Ahmadiyya community are designated as heretics by the Pakistani government, which has also prohibited them from identifying as Muslims, referring to their places of worship as mosques, participating in Islamic rites such as qurbani or animal sacrifice, or using Islamic symbols.
Tehreek-e-Labaik (TLP), a far-right Islamic political party whose primary political plank is enforcing Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, relentlessly targets religious minorities, particularly the Ahmadiyya community. The community continues to face violence, including targeted killings, entrapment in blasphemy cases, discrimination, and the desecration of their houses of worship and cemeteries. During 2024, the Ahmadi community endured six targeted faith-based killings, while 2025 has already seen three such killings. In April 2025, an Ahmadi man was lynched by a mob of TLP supporters who had gathered outside of an Ahmadiyya place of worship in Karachi and were chanting hateful and violent slogans in the lead-up to his murder.
While the Pakistani government has fallen short in upholding human rights, particularly the right to freedom of religious belief, there have been a few small victories within the justice system..
In March 2024, the Anti-Terrorism court in Faisalabad acquitted two Christian brothers, Rocky Masih and Raja Masih, of blasphemy charges that were registered against them in 2023. This accusation against the brothers had triggered the 2024 mob attack in Jaranwala, during which over 21 churches and several homes belonging to the Christian community were set on fire. The court ruled that both brothers had been framed by two other individuals who had a personal grudge against Rocky and Raja. In March 2024, Notan Lal, a Hindu principal of a school who was wrongly accused of blasphemy by a student, was acquitted of a 25-year sentence that he had received in February 2022. In February 2025, a civil court in Pakistan annulled the marriage of a Christian woman who was forced to convert to Islam as a child by her abductor. The court declared her marriage invalid and reaffirmed her Christian identity.
Notwithstanding some such rulings, religious minorities in Pakistan endure widespread discrimination and violence. They face persistent challenges in seeking equality and safety in a society in which they are routinely marginalized.
Download the full report here