Pakistan Islamist Group Accused Of “Blasphemy Business” Targeting Christians (Worthy News Investigation)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

ISLAMABAD (Worthy News) – Pakistan’s hardline Islamist party and movement, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), has been accused of involvement in a massive “blasphemy business” scheme targeting Christians and other Pakistanis charged under the country’s controversial blasphemy laws, despite being banned by the government.

The allegations emerged through investigations and campaign material reviewed by Worthy News, including claims that TLP supporters pressured courts, intimidated victims and their families, and organized public rallies to influence legal proceedings.

The TLP (“Here I Am” Movement of Pakistan) was founded in 2015 by cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi and is currently led by his son, Saad Hussain Rizvi.

Rooted in Pakistan’s Barelvi Islamic tradition, the movement is widely known for aggressive nationwide campaigns supporting strict enforcement of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and demanding harsh punishment for those accused of insulting Islam or the Prophet Muhammad.

Pakistan banned the TLP again in October 2025 after a march by its supporters from the eastern city of Lahore to the capital, Islamabad, escalated into deadly confrontations with police. At least five people were killed during unrest in Lahore and the nearby city of Muridke, officials said. The group had earlier been briefly banned in 2021.

VIOLENT CONFRONTATIONS

Pakistani authorities launched a crackdown after street battles erupted between protesters and police officers.

A statement from the office of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the federal cabinet unanimously approved the ban, citing what officials described as “violent and terrorist activities.”

However, investigations seen by Worthy News suggest the organization and its networks remain active through protests, social media campaigns, and grassroots mobilization.

Analysts say Pakistan’s complicated relationship with TLP reflects the movement’s growing grassroots support in recent years, especially over hardline positions involving blasphemy allegations.

The “Voice of the Victims of Blasphemy Business Group” campaign on social media platform Facebook linked TLP to allegations involving intimidation, coercion, mob pressure, and abuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.

COURT PRESSURE CLAIMS

The group says it supports families affected by blasphemy accusations and claims that hundreds of people have been targeted in related cases, leading to several deaths.

It regularly publishes videos, commentary, legal updates, and allegations involving so-called “honey-trap” operations in which young men are allegedly entrapped online by women, before later facing blasphemy accusations.

Campaign material seen by Worthy News, suggested that a man identified as Usman Siddiqui mobilized crowds outside the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench during hearings involving appeals by convicted individuals.

Activists claimed organized groups were gathered to pressure judges and influence court proceedings.

The campaign also alleged that some individuals were paid roughly 20,000 Pakistani rupees ($72) to attend court rallies and protests linked to blasphemy-related cases.

PAYMENT ALLEGATIONS

Disputes later emerged over unpaid compensation, contributing to declining attendance at subsequent hearings, according to investigators.

Activists also highlighted the case of Syed Ali Hasnain from Faisalabad, alleging he was abducted and tortured after becoming the victim of a “honey-trap” operation tied to blasphemy accusations.

Campaigners claim Hasnain later died from severe internal injuries and accused a wider network of orchestrating online entrapment schemes targeting vulnerable individuals.

The TLP had not publicly responded to the specific accusations by Friday.

Advocacy group LEAD Ministries said the claims raised serious concerns regarding judicial independence, mob intimidation, online radicalization, and the safety of those accused under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.

RIGHTS GROUP CONCERNS

The group called for transparent investigations into all allegations involving torture, coercion, abduction, and intimidation connected to blasphemy-related cases.

Sardar Mushtaq Gill, founder of LEAD Ministries, said Christians in Pakistan “had warned for decades that blasphemy laws were allegedly being misused against religious minorities.”

He told Worthy News that many Christians feared that abuses initially directed at minorities were now increasingly affecting the wider population.

Human rights observers, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have repeatedly expressed concern over the misuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, citing allegations of fabricated digital evidence, mob intimidation, and attempts to influence judicial proceedings.

Pakistan’s blasphemy laws carry severe penalties, including possible death sentences, though rights groups say accusations are frequently used to settle personal disputes, intimidate minorities, and incite mob attacks.

POLITICAL INFLUENCE

Despite its controversial reputation, TLP remains politically influential in Pakistan.

The movement secured nearly 2.9 million votes in Pakistan’s 2024 general election, becoming one of the country’s largest Islamist political forces.

It also emerged as one of the strongest parties in Punjab province, Pakistan’s most populous region.

Critics say the movement’s street power and ability to mobilize mass protests have complicated efforts by Pakistani authorities to curb extremism tied to blasphemy-related violence.

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