Pakistan’s Blasphemy Cases Drop Sharply As Army Chief Targets Islamist Groups

Pakistan has seen a dramatic decline in blasphemy allegations following a military led crackdown on hardline Islamist groups, according to Reuters reporting citing four government and security sources. Registered blasphemy cases have dropped to just 13 so far this year, roughly two thirds lower than comparable periods in recent years, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Blasphemy-related riots or attacks, which averaged more than seven annually between 2021 and 2024, dropped to just one over the past 12 months, based on data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project.

Army Chief Asim Munir Behind The Shift

The crackdown has been overseen by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, sources said, driven partly by Pakistan’s push to strengthen ties with the West and build on Munir’s personal rapport with President Trump. A source close to Munir said the military leader was “clear that these Islamist groups and a progressing Pakistan cannot go together.” The shift follows Pakistan’s deteriorating relationship with the Afghan Taliban, which Islamabad accuses of fueling insurgencies within its borders.

TLP Banned, Leaders Jailed

The largest fundamentalist group, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, known for the rallying cry “Death to blasphemers!”, was banned late last year, with leaders jailed, mosques sealed and bank accounts frozen. A government document supporting the ban described the group as having become “a serious threat to Pakistan.” Earlier crackdowns targeted groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad following pressure from the Financial Action Task Force.

Economic Pressures Also Played A Role

Officials grew concerned last summer that Islamist hostility toward European nations threatened an EU duty waiver covering nearly a third of Pakistan’s exports. The Trump administration has also raised concerns over blasphemy-related persecution of religious minorities.

Analysts Warn Of Possible Backlash

Analyst Abdul Basit linked the crackdown to worsening insurgencies in Pakistan’s mineral-rich Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions. Former counter-terrorism chief Ihsan Ghani warned the group could resurface if its political usefulness changes, saying, “You cannot switch on, switch off something of this scale which you took years to nurture as a state policy.” For minority communities, the change remains fragile, with one rescued Christian woman telling Reuters the fear “hasn’t yet disappeared.