Pakistan’s population is 96.28 percent Muslim (85–90 percent Sunni, 10–15 percent Shi’a, and 0.22 percent Ahmadi), with smaller populations of Hindus (1.6 percent); Christians (1.59 percent); and Sikhs, Buddhists, Baha’is, and Zoroastrians (<1 percent). Pakistan was established as an Islamic Republic in 1956 with special status for Islam (for example, only Muslims can serve as president and prime minister). Its constitution nominally protects religious freedom by prohibiting faith-based discrimination and guaranteeing the right to religious practices and religious education. The constitution also reserves for religious minorities 10 seats in the National Assembly, four seats in the Senate, and 23 seats in four provincial assemblies. However, the second amendment, added in 1974, declares Ahmadis non-Muslims, excluding them from representation. Blasphemy Law Sections 295 and 298 of Pakistan’s Penal Code criminalize acts and speech insulting religion or defiling the Qur’an, the Prophet Muhammad, places of worship, or religious symbols. These vague provisions are frequently abused to levy false accusations against Ahmadis, Shi’a Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, and others who do not adhere to the majority Sunni interpretation of Islam. The law sets severe punishments, including the death penalty. Although some individuals have received death sentences, Pakistan has not executed anyone for blasphemy. A recent USCIRF report found that implementation of these blasphemy laws made Pakistan the world’s worst offender of blasphemy-related prosecutions and societal violence between 2014 and 2018. In 2020, some individuals charged with blasphemy were acquitted: Sawin Masih, a Christian, was sentenced to death in 2014 and acquitted by the Lahore High Court in October 2020. Ramesh Kumar Malhi, a Hindu veterinary surgeon accused in May 2019 of delivering medicine for animals wrapped in paper with Qur’anic text, was acquitted by a trial court in March 2020. Malhi’s practice was burned down after blasphemy allegations emerged; he remains in hiding due to continued death threats. The Punjab Assembly passed the Protection of Foundation of Islam Bill in July, giving the Inter-Services Public Relations, the media and public relations wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, powers to censor and monitor any literature considered anti-Islamic. Growing Intolerance and Hate Speech Influential Sunni Islamist extremists and groups actively promoted hate speech and incitement to violence against religious minorities via digital platforms and public sermons. Such extremist groups blamed Shi’a Muslims for bringing coronavirus to Pakistan, calling it the “Shi’a virus,” egged on by government and media claims that the virus came from pilgrims returning from Iran. The government’s failure to address hate speech and promote religious harmony contributed to mob violence. In September, after Sunni extremists led anti-Shi’a protests in Karachi, a mob attempted to lynch a Shi’a student at Kohat Technical University while another targeted an elderly man in Charsadda. Attacks on Houses of Worship Pakistan’s Hindu and Sikh communities also faced discrimination and desecration of their religious sites. In 2020, five Hindu and Sikh temples were vandalized by extremist mobs. In July, the government also halted construction of Islamabad’s Hindu temple due to pressure from hardline Islamic clerics and politicians who argued that allocation of state money defied the country’s Islamic identity. The government did not openly push back on radical Islamist narratives that leave little or no room for religious tolerance and freedom of belief. Anti-Ahmadiyya Laws In addition to the constitution’s second amendment declaring Ahmadis non-Muslim, Articles 298(b) and 298(c) of the Pakistan Penal Code prohibit Ahmadis, who consider themselves Muslim, from self-identifying as such. They are forced to sign a declaration swearing they are non-Muslim to obtain basic civil rights, such as the right to vote. It is a crime punishable by fine, imprisonment, or death for Ahmadis to profess their faith. They are prohibited from citing the Qur’an or Hadith; displaying Qur’anic text; sharing their faith; printing or obtaining material related to their faith; or calling their places of worship “mosques.” Key U.S. Policy Pakistan played a key role in the U.S. Taliban Peace Agreement that took place in Doha, Qatar, in February 2020. Then President Donald J. Trump continued to emphasize Pakistan’s importance in the region for U.S. security interests, particularly with the Afghan peace process and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Then Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells visited Islamabad in January to discuss the growing bilateral relationship in light of Pakistan’s cooperation in promoting peace in Afghanistan and regional stability. In 2020, Pakistan was estimated to receive a total of $299 million in aid from the United States, significantly lower than the $766 million in 2019. In April, then Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Samuel D. Brownback called for the release of religious prisoners of conscience in Pakistan amid the coronavirus pandemic. In June, he raised concern regarding anti-Shi’a sentiments. Following the murder of Tahir Naseem in July, the U.S. Department of State called on Pakistan to reform its blasphemy law and court system. In August, then Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo issued a statement for Pakistan Independence Day, noting that the United States was looking forward to working with Pakistan to expand fundamental freedoms. On December 2, the State Department redesignated Pakistan as a CPC under IRFA, but again issued a waiver on any related sanctions “as required in the ‘important national interest of the United States.’” KEY USCIRF RESOURCES & ACTIVITIES • Policy Update: Pursuing an IRFA Binding Agreement • Hearing: Blasphemy Laws and the Violation of International Religious Freedom U S C I R F – R E C O M M E N D E D F O R C O U N T R I E S O F PA R T I C U L A R C O N C E R N ( C P C ) 37 PAKISTAN Background