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Pakistan government vows action after death threats to top judge over ‘blasphemy’ accusations

A screengrab taken on October 11, 2023 from PTV News shows Pakistan's chief justice Qazi Faez Isa announcing the verdict on the petitions against the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023 in Islamabad, Pakistan. (PTV News/News)
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Updated 29 July 2024
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Pakistan government vows action after death threats to top judge over ‘blasphemy’ accusations

  • Recent video shows right-wing Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan leader offering reward for anyone who kills chief justice
  • Police case filed against TLP Vice Emir Pir Zaheerul Hasan Shah, other party members for incitement to violence
Updated 29 July 2024
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday warned that the state would take action against leaders of an ultraconservative religious-political group for issuing death threats against the country’s top judge over allegations he had committed blasphemy, with police registering a case against several party members. 

The development comes a day after the release of a video by a leader of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party in which he was heard announcing a reward of Rs1,00,00,000 [$35,953] for anyone who killed Chief justice Qazi Faez Isa. 

In February this year, hundreds of supporters from religious groups led by the TLP rallied to protest against what they said were blasphemous remarks by Isa in a case against a member of the minority Ahmadi community. Following the protests, the Supreme Court had released a statement calling the “impression” of blasphemy “absolutely wrong” and deploring the “vicious campaign” against Isa.

The protests were held after Isa granted bail to a member of the minority Ahmadi community who has been accused of blasphemy for distributing Islamic literature and been in jail for 13 months.

“I think there isn’t a bigger [example] of contempt of religion than to issue such statements in the name of a religion [Islam] which is one of mercy and blessings,” Asif told reporters at a news conference, commenting on the TLP member’s death threat against Isa. 

“The state will take action over it because this is all based on lies … The state will not accept dictation from any group in the name of religion, politics or someone’s self-interests.”

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, who addressed the press conference with Asif, said issuing death threats was an act of “rebellion” not only against Pakistan’s constitution but also against Islam. 

“Pakistan has its courts, it has its law, and no person or group is allowed to issue fatwas [religious rulings] for anyone’s murder,” he said. “Because the right to reward or punish rests with the judiciary in a state.”

Iqbal accused the TLP of inciting hatred for political gains and urged the people of Pakistan not to pay heed to the party. 

A police report seen by Arab News showed a case had been filed on Sunday against TLP Vice Emir Pir Zaheerul Hasan Shah and other party members for incitement to violence against the chief justice. The police report invokes provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act, and others related to spreading religious hatred and anarchy, pressuring and threatening the higher judiciary, interference in state affairs, obstructing in performance of legal duties, among others.

Human rights groups say Pakistan’s harsh blasphemy laws are often misused to settle personal scores, and mere accusations have led to violence and mob justice in the past. 

Topics: Pakistan blasphemy

Pakistan’s deputy PM says Islamabad to appoint envoy to Kabul, signaling thaw in ties

Updated 7 sec ago
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Pakistan’s deputy PM says Islamabad to appoint envoy to Kabul, signaling thaw in ties

  • Announcement comes days after trilateral talks in China where both countries agreed to upgrade relations
  • It remains unclear who will be Pakistan’s new envoy to Afghanistan and when the appointment will take effect
Updated 7 sec ago
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday Islamabad would upgrade diplomatic relations with neighboring Afghanistan by appointing an ambassador in Kabul in a bid to deepen engagement between the two neighboring countries.

The move comes amid long-running tensions, with Pakistan repeatedly accusing the Afghan Taliban administration of “facilitating” cross-border attacks by militant groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).

Kabul has denied the allegations, insisting Pakistan’s security challenges are its internal issue. Relations have further deteriorated in recent years after Islamabad launched a nationwide deportation drive targeting undocumented foreigners, the majority of whom are Afghan nationals. Pakistani authorities also maintained that some of them were linked to a spate of militant attacks in the country including suicide bombings.

Despite the strains, both countries have sought to improve ties in recent months. Dar led a delegation to Kabul in April and later participated in trilateral talks involving Chinese and Afghan foreign ministers in Beijing earlier this month.

“Pakistan-Afghanistan relations are on [a] positive trajectory after my very productive visit to Kabul with Pakistan delegation on 19th April 2025,” he said in a post on social media platform X. “To maintain this momentum, I am pleased to announce the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its Chargé d’Affaires in Kabul to the level of Ambassador.”

“I am confident this step would further contribute towards enhanced engagement, deepen Pak-Afghan cooperation in economic, security, CT [counterterrorism] & trade areas and promote further exchanges between two fraternal countries,” he added.

 

The announcement comes after the recent trilateral meeting in Beijing, where Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said both Pakistan and Afghanistan had “clearly expressed” a willingness to elevate diplomatic ties, according to an official statement.

At the same meeting, the three countries also agreed to expand cooperation under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), including the extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Afghanistan.

The BRI — China’s multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure plan — aims to build land and maritime trade routes linking Asia with Africa and Europe. CPEC, considered the flagship of the initiative, includes over $60 billion in Chinese investments in Pakistan’s energy, transport, and industrial sectors.

It remains unclear who will be Pakistan’s new envoy to Kabul or when the appointment will take effect.
 

Topics: Pakistan Afghanistan Ties Pakistan's ambassador to Afghanistan Pakistan Afghanistan diplomatic relations

Pakistan criminalizes child marriages in Islamabad despite opposition from Council of Islamic Ideology

Updated 30 May 2025
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Pakistan criminalizes child marriages in Islamabad despite opposition from Council of Islamic Ideology

  • Under the new law, the minimum age for marriage is set at 18 for both men and women in the federal capital
  • Prison terms of up to seven years have been introduced for those who facilitate or coerce children into early marriages
Updated 30 May 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday signed into law a bill criminalizing child marriages in the federal capital of Islamabad, despite opposition from a constitutional body that advises the Pakistani government on the compatibility of laws with Islam.

The law criminalizes underage marriages and introduces strict penalties of up to seven years in prison for family members, clerics and marriage registrars who facilitate or coerce children into early marriages. Any sexual relations within a marriage involving a minor, regardless of consent, will be considered statutory rape, according to the law. An adult man who marries a girl under the legal age could face up to three years in prison.

Pakistan’s National Assembly had unanimously passed the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill tabled by Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Sharmila Faruqui on May 16. Under the new law, the minimum legal age for marriage for both men and women in Islamabad is 18. Previously, it was 16 for girls and 18 for boys.

However, the Council of Islamic Ideology this week declared the said bill “un-Islamic,” saying that clauses of the bill, such as fixing the age limit for marriage and declaring marriage below the age of 18 as child abuse and punishable, did not conform with Islamic injunctions.

“The Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, 2025 is assented to, as passed by the Parliament,” President Zardari was quoted as saying in a notification issued from his office.

In Pakistan, 29 percent of girls are married by the age of 18 and 4 percent marry before the age of 15, according to Girls Not Brides, a global coalition working to end child marriage. In comparison, five percent of boys marry before 18.

PPP Senator Sherry Rehman thanked the president for signing the bill into law “despite all pressure.”

“Proud moment for Pakistan,” she said on X. “Thank you to all the women and men who made this possible after a long journey of twists and turns.”

Pakistan ranks among the top 10 countries globally with the highest absolute number of women who were married or in a union before turning 18.

Girls who marry young are less likely to complete their education and are more vulnerable to domestic violence, abuse and serious health complications.

Pregnancy poses significantly higher risks for child brides, increasing the chances of obstetric fistulas, sexually transmitted infections and even maternal death. Teenagers are far more likely to die from childbirth-related complications than women in their twenties.

Topics: child marriage

Pakistan, India close to completing border troop reduction, senior Pakistani general says

Updated 31 min 37 sec ago
Reuters
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Pakistan, India close to completing border troop reduction, senior Pakistani general says

  • Both nations attacked military installations in their mainlands this month before the US brokered a ceasefire on May 10
  • General Sahir Shamshad Mirza says latest conflict has lowered the ‘threshold,’ won’t be restricted to disputed Kashmir
Updated 31 min 37 sec ago
Reuters

SINGAPORE: Pakistan and India are close to reducing the troop build up along their border to levels before conflict erupted between the nuclear-armed neighbors this month, a top Pakistani military official told Reuters on Friday, although he warned the crisis had increased the risk of escalation in the future.

Both sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery in four days of clashes, their worst fighting in decades, before a ceasefire was announced.

The spark for the latest fighting between the old enemies was an April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. New Delhi blamed the incident on “terrorists” backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad.

On May 7, India launched missiles at what it said were “terrorist infrastructure” sites across the border and as Pakistan responded with its own attacks, both countries built up additional forces along the frontier.

General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan’s chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said the two militaries had started the process of drawing down troop levels.

“We have almost come back to the pre-22nd April situation... we are approaching that, or we must have approached that by now,” said Mirza, the most senior Pakistani military official to speak publicly since the conflict.

India’s ministry of defense and the office of the Indian chief of defense staff did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment on the remarks by Mirza.

Mirza, who is in Singapore to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue forum, said while there was no move toward nuclear weapons during this conflict, it was a dangerous situation.

“Nothing happened this time,” he said. “But you can’t rule out any strategic miscalculation at any time, because when the crisis is on, the responses are different.”

He also said the risk of escalation in the future had increased since the fighting this time was not limited to the disputed territory of Kashmir, the scenic region in the Himalayas that both nations rule in part but claim in full. The two sides attacked military installations in their mainlands but neither has acknowledged any serious damage.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan this month that New Delhi would target “terrorist hideouts” across the border again if there were new attacks on India.

‘DANGEROUS TREND’

The two countries have fought three major wars, two of them over Kashmir, and numerous armed skirmishes since both were born out of British colonial India in 1947.

New Delhi blames Pakistan for an insurgency in India-administered part of Kashmir that began in 1989 and has killed tens of thousands. Pakistan says it provides only moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris seeking self-determination.

“This (conflict) lowers the threshold between two countries who are contiguous nuclear powers...in the future, it will not be restricted to the disputed territory. It would come down to (the) whole of India and (the) whole of Pakistan,” Mirza said. “This is a very dangerous trend.”

Reuters has reported that the rapid escalation of hostilities ended in part because of behind-the-scenes diplomacy involving the US, India and Pakistan, and the key role played by Washington in brokering peace. India has denied any third-party role in the ceasefire and said that any engagement between India and Pakistan has to be bilateral.

But Mirza warned that international mediation might be difficult in the future because of a lack of crisis management mechanisms between the countries.

“The time window for the international community to intervene would now be very less, and I would say that damage and destruction may take place even before that time window is exploited by the international community,” he said.

Pakistan was open to dialogue, he added, but beyond a crisis hotline between the directors general of military operations and some hotlines at the tactical level on the border, there was no other communication between the two countries.

India’s foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday “talks and terror don’t go together” in response to a question on the possibility of dialogue with Pakistan.

Mirza said there were no backchannel discussions, or informal talks, to ease tensions. He also said he had no plans to meet General Anil Chauhan, India’s chief of defense staff, who is also in Singapore for the Shangri-La forum.

“These issues can only be resolved by dialogue and consultations, on the table. They cannot be resolved on the battlefield,” Mirza said.

Topics: General Sahir Shamshad Mirza Pakistan Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Pakistan India ceasefire

Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, Muhammad Yasir in Asian Athletics Championships javelin finals

Updated 30 May 2025
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Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, Muhammad Yasir in Asian Athletics Championships javelin finals

  • Olympic gold medalist Nadeem and compatriot Yasir qualified with impressive throws of 86.34m and 76.07m respectively
  • Nadeem made history at 2024 Paris Olympics by winning Pakistan’s first athletics gold with a record throw of 92.97m
Updated 30 May 2025
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Olympic medalist Arshad Nadeem and compatriot javelin thrower Muhammad Yasir have qualified for the finals of the 26th Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea.

The championship, running from May 27 till May 31, is featuring over 2,000 athletes from 43 countries, who are competing across 45 track and field events at the Gumi Civic Stadium.

Nadeem advanced to the final with a powerful throw of 86.34 meters on his first and only attempt in the A qualification round, while Yasir secured his spot in the final with a 76.07-meter throw in the B qualification round.

“Alhamdulillah, qualified this morning for the final competition tomorrow afternoon at 1:10pm Pakistan time at the Asian Championships,” Nadeem said on X.

“As always I would need your support and prayers.”

Nadeem tops the 21-member field. He is followed by Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage with a throw of 83.71 meters and Japan’s Yuta Sakiyama with a throw of 81.36 meters.

Yasir entered the final ranked 9th.

Nadeem made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning Pakistan’s first-ever athletics gold with a record-breaking javelin throw of 92.97 meters. His throw not only set a new Olympic and Asian record but also ended Pakistan’s 32-year Olympic medal drought.

He has since become a national hero, inspiring millions with his journey from humble beginnings in smalltown Mian Channu to the top of the Olympic podium.
 

Topics: Arshad Nadeem Muhammad Yasir

Pakistan among dozens of countries to join China’s new global mediation group

Updated 30 May 2025
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Pakistan among dozens of countries to join China’s new global mediation group

  • Beijing has touted the organization as the world’s first intergovernmental legal body for resolving disputes through mediation
  • Deputy PM Ishaq Dar says multilateralism is key to global peace and stability, and the new organization reaffirms this ideal
Updated 30 May 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Dozens of countries, including Pakistan, on Friday joined China in establishing a global mediation-based dispute resolution group, with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar hoping to play an “active” role in the mission.

Dar was among representatives of more than 30 countries, from Indonesia to Belarus to Cuba, who signed the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) in Hong Kong to become founding members of the global organization.

Beijing has touted the organization as the world’s first intergovernmental legal body for resolving disputes through mediation, saying it will be an important mechanism in safeguarding the principles of the United Nations charter. It also positioned Hong Kong as an international legal and dispute resolution services center in Asia.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dar said Pakistan values China’s steadfast support for multilateral efforts, which aim to bridge East and West, and North and South, bringing together developed and developing countries to foster a global community with a shared future.

“Pakistan and China have always shared the view that multilateralism is the centerpiece for international peace, stability, and development,” he said.

“​The creation of IOMed today reaffirms this ideal, offering new opportunities and fresh hopes to build a more inclusive, more just and more equitable world. Pakistan will continue to be an active voice in this noble mission.”

The new body, headquartered in Hong Kong, aims to help promote the amicable resolution of international disputes and build more harmonious global relations. The support of developing countries signaled Beijing’s rising influence in the global south amid heightened geopolitical tensions, partly exacerbated by US President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs.

Wang said China has long advocated for handling differences with a spirit of mutual understanding and consensus-building through dialogue, while aiming to provide “Chinese wisdom” for resolving conflicts between nations.

“The establishment of the International Organization for Mediation helps to move beyond the zero-sum mindset of ‘you lose and I win,’” he said.

Hong Kong leader John Lee said the organization could begin its work as early as the end of this year. The ceremony was attended by representatives from some 50 other countries and about 20 organizations, including the United Nations.

Yueming Yan, a law professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the new organization is a complementary mechanism to existing institutions such as the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague.

“While the ICJ and PCA focus on adjudication and arbitration, IOMed introduces a structured, institutionalized form of alternative dispute resolution — namely, mediation — on a global scale,” she said.

Although many details about the new body are yet to be clarified, it could open the door for greater synergy between formal litigation or arbitration and more flexible methods like mediation, she said.

Shahla Ali, a law professor at the University of Hong Kong, said the International Organization for Mediation would have the capacity to mediate disputes between states, between a state and a national of another state, or in international commercial disputes.

“Conventions can provide opportunities to experiment with new approaches,” she said, noting rising interest in mediation globally as a means to resolve investor-state disputes.

Dar said peace and security as well as global prosperity can be promoted and preserved through strict adherence to the principles of the UN Charter, faithful implementation of UN Security Council resolutions as well as international law.

“Pakistan has established an International Mediation and Arbitration Center (IMAC) to promote commercial and investment dispute resolution and judicial efficiency. We look forward to collaborating with the Secretariat of IOMed and IMAC of Pakistan,” he added.​

— With input from AP

Topics: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar International Organization for Mediation (IOMed)

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