Blasphemy in Pakistan.

The Pakistan Penal Code, the main criminal code of Pakistan, penalizes blasphemy against any recognised religion, providing penalties ranging from a fine to death. According to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, around 80 people are known to be incarcerated in Pakistan on blasphemy charges-half of those face life in prison or the death penalty. From 1967 to 2014, over 1,300 people were accused of blasphemy, with Muslims constituting most of those accused.

According to human rights groups, blasphemy laws in Pakistan have been exploited not only for...