Corruption in Pakistan’s criminal justice system severely affecting poor, minorities
Islamabad, July 14 (IANS) Poor and marginalised communities, especially Christians prosecuted under the Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws, have been affected by corruption in Pakistan’s criminal justice system, a report has detailed.
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisation, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), stated in a report that many Christians accused of blasphemy in Pakistan are not able to get effective legal representation or challenge wrongful prosecutions due to poverty, discrimination and corruption, a report in Christian Daily International mentioned.
“Many of the victims in cases targeting Christians, for example, are sanitation workers or daily labourers, meaning that their resources to pay legal representation with necessary social and political connections or to pay bribes are very limited, if not absent, in effect widening the gap in access to justice,” it stated.
The report titled ‘Under the Bench: Mapping Corruption Risks in Pakistan’s Justice System’ is based on 30 interviews conducted in February and March with Pakistani lawyers, judges, journalists, civil society activists and academics.
People interviewed for the report spoke about corruption across the criminal justice process, with one saying that families of accused persons often borrowed money, including from loan sharks, to pay police officers or court officials in an effort to advance their cases.
The report cited data from the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) showing an increase in blasphemy prosecutions. As of July 25, 2024, 787 people were imprisoned on blasphemy charges, in comparison to 213 in 2023, 64 in 2022, nine in 2021 and 11 in 2020, the Christian Daily report detailed.
As per the report, corruption in blasphemy cases is different from other criminal cases as public pressure on investigators and judges often limits the effectiveness of bribery itself.
“As several interviewees told FIDH and HRCP, in blasphemy cases, paying bribes to influence the police or court officials often had little impact, as the public pressure on the police and judges to ensure convictions was high,” it added.
One person interviewed for the report said that those accused of blasphemy have little faith on receiving a fair trial. The interviewee said, “Overall, the sentiment on the street is that there is no justice for the poor and weak people,” he said, adding that many defendants believed convictions were almost inevitable because judges faced intense pressure from religious extremists.”
A lawyer interviewed for the report said district court judges handling blasphemy cases were rarely ready to address evidentiary irregularities, including allegedly forged documents and contradictory witness testimony, due to fears of public backlash.
Last week, the Christian community in Pakistan’s Lahore mourned the death of Amir Peter, who died in prison while awaiting trial on a blasphemy charge, renewing concerns over the misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan and the prolonged detention of people accused under the controversial legislation.
On July 1, Amir Peter (60), who is the brother of Capuchin priest Fr. Henry Paul, died in prison after experiencing medical complications during detention. He was arrested on July 19, 2025 after local businessmen allegedly registered a false blasphemy complaint against him. He was kept in custody despite his deteriorating physical and mental condition, Radio Veritas Asia (RVA) reported.
–IANS
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