Islamabad: Sardar Mushtaq Gill, Founder of LEAD Ministries, has warned that Pakistan’s blasphemy laws continue to destroy lives and create a climate of fear and violence, affecting people of all faiths while disproportionately targeting Christians.

Gill noted that while Muslims, Hindus, and Christians are all vulnerable to blasphemy accusations, Christians remain the only community subjected to systematic collective punishment. “An accusation against a single individual often triggers coordinated attacks on entire Christian neighborhoods,” he said. “Churches have been desecrated and burned, homes torched, and entire communities displaced. Families are traumatized, livelihoods destroyed, and children forced out of school.”

He emphasized that even those acquitted by the courts are not safe. “Prison may end, but fear does not. Victims emerge socially, economically, and psychologically broken, often forced into hiding or to flee their homes,” he said. “Fear has replaced justice, and mobs have taken the place of the state.”

Gill warned that in today’s age of social media and rapid online communication, even ordinary debates or disagreements can be manipulated into blasphemy accusations, putting anyone at risk—often without their knowledge or intent.

He highlighted the serious social and personal consequences of the blasphemy laws, noting that cases can escalate quickly, sometimes resulting in unrest, property damage, or lasting disruption for individuals and communities, including incidents of blackmail and financial extortion.

“The impact is far-reaching,” he said. “Businesses destroyed, factories closed, families torn apart, and entire communities displaced. This is no longer just a legal issue—it is a humanitarian emergency.”

Gill emphasized that the blasphemy laws fail in their intended purpose. “Religions, sacred texts, and revered figures cannot be physically harmed by criticism or insult. Yet countless human lives have been destroyed in their name,” he said. He added that Section 295-A alone is sufficient to protect religious sentiments in cases of deliberate harm, while extreme punishments such as death or life imprisonment are excessive and constitute cruelty and oppression against believers of other faiths, rather than safeguarding Islam. Therefore, Sections 295-B and 295-C should be immediately repealed to prevent further misuse and protect fundamental human rights.

He called on the Government of Pakistan to act without delay to repeal the laws and urged the international community to hold the state accountable for failing to protect fundamental human rights. He also appealed to international authorities, human rights organizations, and concerned individuals to take urgent action to safeguard the lives of people, particularly Christians, in Pakistan. “Silence now is complicity,” he said.