Pakistan (and India before partition) has had blasphemy laws on the books for hundreds of years. It is only in the last twenty or so years with the growth of religious extremism that they have taken on a sinister pall.
They are now used to settle disputes and get revenge in petty civil matters. The judiciary, to it’s credit, sometimes dismisses these cases despite huge public pressure. However the accusation itself is virtually a death sentence. Moreover anyone can be a victim. These laws have been used against people of all religions and even muslim clerics themselves.
