Pakistan: Concern over religious freedom

Religious freedom in Pakistan is in growing danger, partly due to a rising number of false allegations of blasphemy, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).

In a report which analysed breaches of religious freedom in the nation between July 2024 and the end of June this year, the organisation claimed that the state is increasingly being subjected to pressure and intimidation by Muslim extremists who are gradually gaining a grip of several levers of the state.

The report warned that the increasingly “emboldened” extremists are “shrinking” the space for appropriate and impartial civic dialogue and decision-making through “hate speech” and threatening behaviour.