Political Economy of the Blasphemy Problem in Pakistan: How it Moved from a Religious Issue into a Money-Making Enterprise

This paper examines the political economy of blasphemy in Pakistan, arguing that blasphemy accusations have evolved from matters of religious offense into a structured system of profit, intimidation, and political control. Drawing on case studies from the past decade, including high-profile prosecutions and mob-violence incidents, the paper shows how the design and severity of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, particularly Section 295-C, make them uniquely vulnerable to abuse. Once an accusation is made, the threat of death, public hysteria, and institutional paralysis combine to produce outcomes largely detached from evidence or due process. The analysis traces the historical evolution of the laws from colonial public-order provisions to instruments of theological crime under Islamization, situating this shift within broader processes of desecularization. It then documents the rise of organized “blasphemy gangs”: networks of clerics, lawyers, political actors, and local power brokers who manufacture accusations to extract money, seize property, and consolidate influence. The paper further explores the financial and political incentives that sustain this system, including donations, extortion, electoral mobilization, and tacit state support. By framing blasphemy as a political economy rather than solely a religious or legal issue, the paper explains why reform has proven so resistant and identifies the conditions under which meaningful change might become possible.