Blasphemy cases: IHC orders govt to constitute commission within 30 days
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC), Tuesday, directed the federal government to constitute a commission within 30 days to probe blasphemy cases.
A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan issued the directions in petitions filed by the victim families seeking formation of judicial commission to investigate the cases.
The bench directed the federal government to form a commission within 30 days to investigate blasphemy cases. It also directed that the commission formed by the federal government must complete its proceedings within four months.
In this matter, the victim families, represented by advocates, Abid Saqi and Usman Warraich, had petitioned the high court for the formation of a judicial commission. They mentioned a report by the Punjab Special Branch titled “The Blasphemy Business”. The report alleged that a suspicious gang had been entrapping youth in blasphemy cases and extorting money from them after filing complaints with the FIA in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
During the hearing, an additional director of the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency informed the court that Komal Ismail’s identity card had been blocked and four SIM cards are registered on Komal’s ID card but none of the numbers have been active since November.
Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan noted that the petition was filed on September 14 and Komal went missing in November. The additional director of NCCIA assured the court that Komal has not left the country and remains in Pakistan.
When the judge asked that if Komal’s name had been placed on the Exit Control List (ECL), the Additional Director confirmed that it had and search efforts are continuing.
Justice Ishaq said that Komal’s safety is a serious concern and asked what measures the agency could take to protect her life. Advocate Hadi Ali Chatha informed the bench that the court had requested WhatsApp data for three numbers from cellular network companies. However, lawyers representing the cellular companies stated that WhatsApp call detail records (CDRs) are not available, and phone number CDRs are only retained for one year.
The judge said that if the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has the authority, the commission could request the information, stressing the importance due to the lives at stake.
After hearing the arguments, Justice Ishaq said that the court’s role was to determine whether sufficient material exists to form the commission and accepted the petitions directing the government to form the commission within 30 days and the commission must complete its work within four months but may request additional time from the court if needed.
In the petition, the petitioners asserted that this gang is the complainant in nearly 90 per cent of blasphemy cases registered by the FIA. It added that operating under the name “Legal Commission on Blasphemy,” the group is said to be consisted of both men and women targeting poor and lower middle class Muslim families.
They revealed that a concerning pattern emerges in the FIRs: out of over 400 alleged victims, 70 per cent are young men and women in their twenties or younger while many of the victims are professionals, including engineers, Hafiz-e-Quran, and degree holders in various fields.
They further said that they had approached the federal government with a formal request dated August 4, 2024, seeking the formation of an inquiry commission on the Special Branch’s report. However, no action has been taken to date.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025