Families of victims of false blasphemy cases protest outside National Press Club in Islamabad, Pakistan on Jan. 10, 2025. (CDI-MSN screenshot of video).

LAHORE, Pakistan (Christian Daily International–Morning Star News) – An Islamist gang trapped more than 450 people in false blasphemy charges in recent years in Pakistan, including five who were tortured death in custody, according to human rights lawyers.

The “blasphemy business group” has devastated numerous families with the collusion of federal investigators, said attorneys Usman Warraich, Imaan Hazir-Mazari and Rana Abdul Hameed at a press conference on Friday (Jan. 10) in the federal capital of Islamabad. As frequent targets of blasphemy accusations, Christians in Pakistan are at serious risk of being victimized by the group.

The Islamist group shares blasphemous content online and then files false charges, blackmailing the families of those accused for large sums of money, the attorneys said, citing a report by the Special Branch of the Punjab Police last year that pinpointed an organized gang behind the recent surge in blasphemy cases.

A separate report by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) in October that endorses the police findings details how innocent people were being entrapped with the active involvement of officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the rights attorneys said.

The NCHR report highlighted that most of the victims belonged to lower-income or middle-class levels. More than 150 victims of the “blasphemy racket” are being held in Adiala District Jail; 170 in District Camp Jail and Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore; and 55 in Karachi Central Jail, Warraich said.

The gang has recruited young men and women who befriended people on social media and lured them to a “safe-house” in the G-8 Sector of Islamabad, he said.

“Several young victims honey-trapped by this gang have revealed that when they came to the said house, they were stripped naked and tortured by the gang members who also videotaped their ordeal,” Warraich said. “There are about 25-30 people associated with this gang who become plaintiffs after trapping youths from all over Pakistan. Each plaintiff is involved in trapping more than 20 youths.”

Five Muslims, including a 22-year-old woman, Fatima Jahangir, were subjected to inhumane torture that ultimately led to their tragic deaths, he said.

“An orphan boy named Syed Ali Hasnain was killed in Adiala Jail. A young man from Rawalpindi, Syed Abdullah Shah, was tortured and murdered by this group in collaboration with the FIA,” Warraich said. “Fatima Jahangir died in Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore, while another 22-year-old boy, Safeer Ullah, lost his life in Camp Jail, Lahore.”

Another youth named Suhan Khan was tortured to death in Karachi Central Jail within three to four days, he said, adding that the Islamist gang publicly celebrates whenever a court denies bail or convicts a victim.

“Celebrations include distributing sweets, garlanding members, and gifting swords to each other, and the videos are widely circulated on social media,” the attorney said. “They also share the names and addresses of the victim families and their lawyers on social media to intimidate them.”

After courts convict the victims, Islamic leaders make announcements against them in the mosques of their respective neighborhoods to incite local residents against their families, he said.

During proceedings, the Islamist group harasses the victims’ families and shouts slogans in the courtroom to pressure judges to convict the innocent, he added.

Supreme Court Advocate Rana Abdul Hameed, who represented Shagufta Kiran, a Christian woman who was sentenced to death on Sept. 18 in a blasphemy case filed by a member of the Islamist gang, said that the false cases have raised serious questions about the integrity of Pakistan’s legal system.

“These cases are not only baseless but also a stain on the judiciary,” Hameed said, criticizing the government and judiciary for their silence.

Elaborating on the operations of the blasphemy business group, Hameed described it as a profit-driven syndicate with an aim to instill fear and exploit families.

Hazir-Mazari, a prominent human rights attorney, said at the press conference that there is a systemic failure to address false cases of blasphemy in Pakistan.

“The courts, except in Sindh Province, lack the courage to hear these cases,” she said. “This silence is a significant impediment to justice.”

Hazir-Mazari said she regretted that hundreds of people were languishing in prisons on fabricated blasphemy charges.

Family members of some of the victims also addressed the media, revealing how the gang files blasphemy cases using fake addresses and intimidates them with threats to extort money. Saeeda Bibi, mother of a visually impaired Muslim falsely charged with blasphemy, Muhammad Zamzam, shared how he was mistreated by FIA officials and arrested in a false case in Lahore despite FIA officials demanding a bribe of 100,000 rupees ($360 USD).

“When we received the FIA notice, I took my son to the authorities myself to prove his innocence, as he is blind in both eyes,” Bibi said. “However, instead of being treated fairly, the FIA demanded money, but even after we paid them the bribe, they did not release my son.”

The attorneys and victims’ families said that despite raising these concerns to various government authorities, nothing has been done to protect people.

“We have brought this matter to the attention of the president’s office, prime minister’s office, chief justice of Pakistan, Cabinet Division, Director General FIA, Ministry of Human Rights, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Law and Justice and leadership of all mainstream political parties, but none of them has taken any action yet,” they said in a statement.

They demanded that the federal government form an independent investigative commission in light of the reports submitted by the police and NCHR. They also demanded that all proceedings in these cases be halted until the investigations are concluded, and that those responsible be held accountable.

“We also urge the judiciary to ensure fair trial of the victims and take legal measures to curb the contemptuous behavior of the members of the blasphemy business group in courtrooms,” they demanded.

Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, as it was the previous year.

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