Title: The Blasphemy Law: Silent Attack, Deep Impact
By: Prof Masood Akhtar Hazarvi
In Pakistan, the blasphemy law (Sections 295-B/C) is not merely a legal clause—it is a living expression of the faith, emotions, and love for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ harbored by millions of Muslims. This law reflects the religious consciousness and honor of the Muslim Ummah. However, these days, a silent yet organized effort is underway to weaken the essence of this law. Opponents argue that the blasphemy law is often misused to settle personal scores or target minorities, thereby violating human rights. Hence, they suggest that the law should either be repealed or amended.
The point to understand is that the misuse of any law does not its abolition. If a law is being misused, the solution lies in strengthening the justice system and strictly punishing those who misuse it—not in repealing or altering the law itself. For example, the law against murder exists, yet murders still occur. Should we then abolish the murder law? Certainly not. Similarly, even if the blasphemy law has been misused in some cases, that does not negate its value or purpose.
From a historical perspective, the current strategy against the blasphemy law mirrors the approach adopted in Britain a century ago. There, the blasphemy law was gradually rendered ineffective and eventually repealed. Let’s briefly review the history of the blasphemy law in Britain. It remained in force for centuries. On January 8, 1697, a 20-year-old youth named Thomas Aikenhead was executed in Edinburgh for making blasphemous remarks about Jesus (peace be upon him). At that time, society and courts were firmly committed to upholding religious sanctity.
Over time, however, this resolve weakened. In the 1817 William Hone Case, the court ruled that “intention” was the basis of the law. In the 1883 George William Foote Case, Lord Chief Justice Coleridge remarked, "Not all criticism is blasphemy; malicious intent is essential." After 1921, the law was practically no longer enforced. Finally, in 2008, the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act formally abolished it. This was a step-by-step strategy: first weaken the law through judicial interpretation, then alienate it from public consciousness, and finally eliminate it without resistance.
It seems that some liberal and secularist forces are trying to implement the same strategy in Pakistan. We must stay vigilant. It is important to remember that Sections 295-B/C in Pakistan are not just legal provisions but religious, constitutional, and public imperatives. However, recent judicial rulings, legal interpretations, and the centralization of “intent” as a condition are loosening the grip of this law.
Some decisions from the Islamabad High Court have made "proof of malicious intent" a requirement, which narrows the scope of the law. Obstacles in filing cases, the need for prior judicial approval for arrests, and the weakness of prosecution are rendering this law practically ineffective.
Meanwhile, certain media outlets and interest groups are promoting the narrative that this law is “a tool of extremists” and “against human rights.” This narrative is an attempt to reshape public opinion so that when the law is eventually repealed or made ineffective, there will be no public outcry. These are the very steps followed in Britain.
When courts begin dismissing cases, prosecution consistently fails, and the accused is protected under the pretext of “lack of intent,” the law exists only on paper. The public stops taking it seriously. When a law becomes functionally ineffective, its formal abolition is met with silence. Today in Pakistan, under the guise of legal terms, judicial remarks, and attractive slogans like "human rights," this very goal is being pursued.
The blasphemy law is a matter of our faith and an element of our national identity. If we remain silent today, tomorrow the protection of the Prophet’s ﷺ honor will be erased from our constitution, our courts, our education, and our collective consciousness.
The true power of a law lies in its enforcement—not just its textual presence. When courts prioritize “intent,” we must ask: what act of blasphemy can then be proven? "Malicious intent" has become a defense available to every blasphemer. This is the first step in dismantling the law.
This is the silent conspiracy to turn the blasphemy law into a “paper tiger”—a law that exists in text but is absent from the courts, the system, the media, and public awareness. Now is the time for rulers, scholars, lawyers, judges, the media, and the public to awaken and join hands to defend it. Otherwise, the enemies of religion will achieve through “soft strategies” what they could not accomplish through open conspiracies.
If we fail to defend this law today, our future generations will hold us accountable. This is not just an ordinary law—it is the voice of every believer’s love for the Prophet ﷺ. Keep it alive. Investigations against the accused should be transparent, and the guilty must be punished appropriately. Otherwise, people will take the law into their own hands, and our beloved homeland—already entangled in multiple crises—will descend into chaos, civil strife, and anarchy