Pakistan’s blasphemy laws have once again been made even more stringent by the country’s lawmakers. Amid a long-running international outcry against the notorious blasphemy laws, the National Assembly of Pakistan on January 17 unanimously passed “The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act 2023,” which increased the minimum punishment for those found guilty of insulting the Islamic Prophet Mohammad’s companions, wives and family members from three years to 10 years’ imprisonment, along with a fine of 1 million Pakistani rupees ($4,122).

The bill was brought forth by National Assembly Member Abdul Akbar Chtrali, a leader of the Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami. Chtrali, on May 17, 2021, had also called for the use of nuclear weapons against India and Israel. The statement of “object and reasons” for the bill by Chitrali says:

“The fact may be observed that disrespecting to the Companion of Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) and other sacred personalities not only promotes terrorism and disruption in the country but it also hurts the people from all walks of life…”

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) last month expressed its deep concern about the law:

“While the stated aim of this bill is to curb sectarianism, HRCP believes it is likely to exacerbate the persecution of Pakistan’s beleaguered religious minorities and minority sects.”

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HRCP also stated that given Pakistan’s troubled record of the misuse of such laws, these amendments are likely to be weaponized disproportionately against religious minorities and sects, resulting in false police reports, harassment and persecution. While Chtrali and the National Assembly thought it necessary to make the laws harsher, human rights activists in Pakistan and abroad are seeing the danger ahead for the minorities, including Christians, Ahmadiyya Muslims (whom Pakistan does not recognize as Muslim), and Hindus.

Read more: Gatestone Institute