Pakistan Court Orders Probe into Online Blasphemy Rise

• Pakistan’s court orders a government probe into allegations of young people being entrapped in online blasphemy cases.

• A surge in cases, mainly among young men, has been reported since 2022.

• Private law firms use volunteers to search the internet for offenders.

• Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan at Islamabad High Court states a 30-day commission will be formed and its findings to be submitted within four months.

• Blasphemy is an incendiary charge in Muslim-majority Pakistan, punishable by death.

• A report from the National Commission for Human Rights reported 767 people, mostly young men, in jail awaiting trial over blasphemy allegations.