LexBlog (LexBlog Pakistan)

On 21 January 2026, the Government of the Punjab, Pakistan, issued a notification remitting stamp duty on mergers approved under the Companies Act, 2017, thereby supporting lawful corporate restructuring and resolving the long-standing provincial inconsistency. Background: This notification emerges directly from the ongoing litigation surrounding the Jadeed Feeds Industries (Pvt.) Ltd. vs. Board...

Since January, Pakistan’s Tirah Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province has remained the focal point of an ongoing humanitarian and political crisis. Rumors of a counterterrorism operation against the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) escalated into one of the country’s most severe winter emergencies, with tens of thousands of civilians still displaced as of late February....

By Mashal Saif In late 2010, many Pakistani ʿulamā’ publicly declared that Salman Taseer, the governor of Pakistan’s largest province, had insulted the Prophet Muḥammad and Islam.[1] In January 2011, Governor Taseer was shot dead by his own bodyguard, Mumtaz Qadri, who reported being inspired by the ʿulamā’s statements. Regarding his killing of Taseer, Qadri...

In Sonia’s final episode, we cover the first substantive judgment concerning the use of “public order disqualification” powers in trafficking cases, an updated CPIN on Pakistan for LGBT+ people and the policy that’s pushing people in conflict zones to make dangerous journeys to enrol their biometrics. Barry covers a really important judgment on children’s settlement...

Columbia Global Freedom of Expression seeks to contribute to the development of an integrated and progressive jurisprudence and understanding on freedom of expression and information around the world.  It maintains an extensive database of international case law. This is its newsletter dealing with recent developments  in the field. “Arshad Sharif was threatened in Pakistan, charged in 16...

The UN Security Council on Tuesday condemned terrorist attacks which took place in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on January 31. The attacks killed 48 people, 31 of whom were civilians. In a press release issued by Council President James Kariuki of the United Kingdom, the Council described the attacks as “heinous and cowardly.” It expressed sympathy...

UN experts on Wednesday condemned the conviction of lawyers and human rights defenders Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha by the District and Sessions Court in Islamabad, Pakistan. Several independent experts, including the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders,...

By Kumkum Chadha   It has been a long haul: from one court hearing to another; deferred dates and a wait that does not seem to end. It was in September last year, when climate activist-turned crusader Sonam Wangchuk was arrested. An erstwhile poster boy of the BJP, he was charged with anti-national activities and his...

An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on Friday sentenced seven people for incitement of violence and spread of hatred against state institutions during the May 2023 riots. Those convicted include YouTuber Adil Raja, journalists Wajahat Saeed Khan, Sabir Shakir and Shaheen Sehbai, anchorperson Haider Raza Mehdi, analyst Moeed Pirzada, and former army official Akbar Hussain. All...

Aman Kumar A few Special Rapporteurs and an Independent Expert of the United Nations Human Rights Council have written to both India and Pakistan regarding the war these countries fought in May 2025. This ‘Communication’ asks for ‘Observations’ by the two countries on a list of questions. The Communication touches upon the issues of Use...

The UN Special Rapporteur on torture raised concerns on Wednesday about the detention conditions of Bushra Bibi Khan, the wife of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan. The statement urged Pakistani authorities to take immediate measures to improve Bushra Khan’s situation and to comply with international human rights standards. Special Rapporteur Alice Jill Edwards noted...

Alisha Tahir (Faisalabad College of Law) and Ishtiaq Ahmed (Faisalabad College of Law; University of Toulouse) recently published, Why Pakistan Urgently Needs Digital Will Legislation in the AI Era: Insights from the United Kingdom, 2025. Provided below is an Abstract: The growing use of the internet and artificial intelligence has made it increasingly difficult to...

A Pakistani military court sentenced former intelligence chief Faiz Hameed to 14 years imprisonment on charges of espionage and abuse of power, according to a press release by the media and public relations division of Pakistan’s army on Thursday. According to the statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Field General Court Martial found...

C (A Child: Summary Return to Pakistan), Re [2025] EWHC 1427 (Fam) (04 March 2025) In this case, Nicholas Stonor KC granted the mother’s application for the summary return to Pakistan of a young boy, A, who was aged 17 months. The child was a dual British and Pakistani nationality. The High Court considered whether...

It is reported that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has established a high-level steering committee to promote the use of AI for economic growth. The government aims to implement AI to enhance the digital economy’s effectiveness and transparency, ensuring responsible use and data protection. Additionally, an expert panel will be formed to advise on AI...

Pakistan’s Federal Cabinet has officially approved the Artificial Intelligence Policy 2025, a landmark national roadmap to transform Pakistan into a knowledge-based economy powered by ethical, inclusive, and innovative AI adoption. The policy is anchored on six strategic pillars: (1) establishing a robust AI Innovation Ecosystem through the creation of a National AI Fund (NAIF), Centres...

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has highlighted food safety-related work in several countries. A food control system assessment has been started in Pakistan. The initiative aims to enhance governance and compliance with international food safety standards. The FAO-led assessment will provide recommendations and a framework to guide future interventions, ensuring that...

I’ve got another great summer read for you: Northern Boy by Iqbal Hussain. Check it out: Joyful, defiant and dazzling, this is the story of Rafi Aziz – a Northern boy dreaming of his name up in lights. It’s 1981 in the suburbs of Blackburn and, as Rafi’s mother reminds him daily, the family moved...

Earlier this month, a 2-judge panel of the Pakistani Supreme Court in Mubarak Ahmad Sani v. The State, (Pakistan Sup. Ct., Feb. 6, 2024) (full text in Urdu), ordered the release on personal bond of a member of the Ahmadi sect who had already been held for 13 months pending trial on charges of disseminating a...

With two wars currently grabbing global attention, this bit of international immigration news might have slipped your notice: Pakistan has been forcibly removing hundreds of thousands (not a typo, that many) Afghans from its country. Pakistan is acting to rid the country of “illegal foreign nationals.” It just so happens that 1.7 million Afghans are...

Numerous media outlets are reporting on Pakistan’s announcement of today as a deportation deadline for Afghan refugees. According to Time, “[t]he decision largely stands to impact the 1.7 million Afghan refugees who live in the country without documentation, though experts tell TIME that many Afghans with proper documentation have found themselves swept up in the...

 In Khan v. Station House Officer, (Lahore High Ct., Nov.11, 2022), a Pakistani appellate court held that Pakistan Criminal Code Sec. 295A that prohibits deliberate and malicious insulting of religious beliefs was not violated by petitioner when he began telling the public that he could fly and that he saw Allah and various of his...

  Here is an interesting midterm House race to watch.  Voice of America in “Immigrants face off in California Congressional District” reports on a congressional race between two immigrants, one from Pakistan and the other from South Korea, reflects the changing demographics of the U.S. electorate. Click Voice of America for the report. KJ

The News on Sunday reports that on Oct. 6 Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency announced that it has created a dedicated unit to deal with complaints of blasphemy on social media. The report says in part: Sources in the FIA say the Agency has inadequate manpower and that many officials in its Cybercrime Wing are contractual employees....

In the wake of September 11, 2001, Hamid Hayat was convicted on terrorism charges based on a trip to Pakistan.  His conviction was later overturned.   Released from custody, Hayat now works for Amazon. At the time of his conviction in 2006, the claim was that Hayat’s conviction was a major victory in the war on terror. ...

Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American by Wajahat Ali Here is the publisher’s description of the book: “`Go back to where you came from, you terrorist!’ This is just one of the many warm, lovely, and helpful tips that Wajahat Ali and other children of...

On this episode of HR Power Hour, join Verrill attorney Tawny Alvarez as she talks to Humza Khan, founder of Inclusion Maine, about all things diversity, equity and inclusion. This episode discusses the foundation of building a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program and the first five steps any organization should take in creating a DE&I...

Practicing attorney Syed Masood has a new comic novel about Muslim immigrants finding their way in modern America titled The Bad Muslim Discount. It follows two families from Pakistan and Iraq in the 1990s through to San Francisco in 2016. From Booklist *Starred Review* The first time Anvar had to slaughter a goat, he forgot...

The Guardian  today reports that in the Punjab province of Pakistan, an 8-year old Hindu boy has become the youngest person ever charged in Pakistan with blasphemy. He is accused of intentionally urinating on a carpet in a madrassa library. Last week, after he was released from custody on bail, Muslims attacked a Hindu temple in Rahim...

 AP reported yesterday that Pakistan’s Telecommunication Authority earlier this month ordered two American men to shut down their U.S.-based website Trueislam.com. According to AP: The legal notice accuses Zafar and Khan, a lawyer, of violating Pakistani laws for hosting and disseminating content on their website related to members the Ahmadi community who are “not allowed to preach...