| Submit your comments on this article |
| India-Pakistan |
| As Pakistan's army chief turns on hardline Islamist groups, blasphemy cases plummet |
| 2026-08-07 |
| [Reuters] ISLAMABAD/KARACHI, Aug 6 (Reuters) - When blasphemy allegations against a Christian family prompted a mob of hundreds to assemble in Pakistan's teeming metropolis Karachi last month, officers knew they might only have minutes to save the four women and one child who were targeted. Islamic Pakistan has witnessed around 90 blasphemy-linked lynchings since 1990 and many started exactly like this. But as police officer Sanghaar Ali ​Malik and his unit confronted the crowd on a narrow street, Malik recalled he sensed a chance to end the situation peacefully. The deafening chant of "Death to blasphemers!" was in the air, but the main instigators of such riots in the past — Pakistan's powerful fundamentalist groups — were missing, reflecting a ‌military-led crackdown that has cut registered blasphemy cases by roughly two-thirds this year. "No religion allows you to take the law into your own hands," Malik said he told the crowd, quoting verses from the Muslim holy book, the Koran. Surprisingly, even for himself, Malik said in an interview, the people listened. With no instigators whipping up frenzy, they melted away after being assured that police would investigate the case. The country's Islamist groups have long been backed by the powerful military to keep the civilian government in check, and, occasionally, to stoke tensions with hostile nations, analysts say. But the groups have retreated to the shadows after a crackdown that four government and security sources said was overseen by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. The crackdown, the sources and analysts said, was driven by Pakistan's desire to improve ties and better integrate its ​economy with the West, as Munir builds on a personal rapport with U.S. President Donald Trump. It comes after Islamabad's falling out with the Afghan Taliban, an erstwhile ally that also hands out custodial and corporal punishments for blasphemy. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #2 |
| Posted by: chris 2026-08-07 11:19 |
| #1 |
| Posted by: Chantry 2026-08-07 11:11 |