This is part of my contribution to ‘Defamation of Religions: International Developments and Challenges on the Ground’, published by the Social Science Research Network, for the Cairo Institute on Human Rights Studies (CIHRS).
SECTION 3: CASE STUDIES FROM THREE OIC STATES
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has a majority Muslim population, and has passed some of the world’s strictest national laws on blasphemy and the defamation of religion. Its provisions are established in the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), its Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and its constitution. Many of these provisions were introduced or strengthened between 1977 and 1988 during the reign of military dictator Zia ul-Haq, known for his ‘Islamisation’ of the country, mostly under martial law. Under General Zia, Shari’a Benches were established in the high courts and the Supreme Court (which had the jurisdiction to examine the compliance of domestic laws with Islamic law, even if no complaint was brought before them),…