Corruption in Pakistan’s courts hits poor Christians hardest, report finds

A new report by leading human rights groups says entrenched corruption throughout Pakistanʼs criminal justice system disproportionately harms the countryʼs poorest religious minorities, particularly Christians accused under its controversial blasphemy laws.

The study — titled “Under the Bench: Mapping Corruption Risks in Pakistanʼs Justice System” — was released July 8 by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).

“Ethnic and religious minorities continue to face rampant discrimination in Pakistan — issues that are compounded by the fact that they also come from low-income communities,” the report states.

“Many of the victims in cases targeting Christians, for example, are sanitation workers or daily laborers, meaning that their resources to pay legal representation with necessary social and political connections or to pay bribes are very limited, if not absent, in effect widening the gap in access to justice.”

The report is based on 30 interviews conducted by FIDH and HRCP in February and March with lawyers, journalists, civil society activists, academics, and judges.

Several interviewees said anti-minority and anti-poor bias was evident in the language used by some judges in their rulings.

Bribes and stalled trials

Its findings echo those of a 2025 report by Human Rights Watch, which said blasphemy accusations were increasingly being used for financial gain, with some police officials allegedly demanding bribes from victims to avoid the registration of false first information reports.

The report also cited figures from the National Commission for Human Rights, a government human rights body, showing a sharp increase in blasphemy prosecutions. It said 767 people were detained on blasphemy charges as of July 25, 2024, compared with 213 in 2023, 64 in 2022, nine in 2021, and 11 in 2020.

Behram Francis, legal adviser for the Catholic bishops’ National Commission for Justice and Peace, said the findings matched what he has seen on the ground.

“Police start dealing with families of blasphemy victims after an accusation is made and the case is publicized. Given the security risk, sensitivity, and public sentiment associated, the usual bribe rate in such cases starts from at least 50,000 rupees [$180],” Francis told EWTN News.

“Trials in lower courts can drag on for years, and the victim continues suffering in prison, as the accuser can easily get the next hearing postponed by paying 15,000 rupees to the court reader. Our lawyers usually encounter prejudice against Christians during trials.”

Concerns in the courtroom

Riaz Anjum, president of the Christian Lawyers Association of Pakistan, said procedural delays and intimidation inside courtrooms remained among the biggest obstacles to defending Christians accused of blasphemy.

“These cases are often not listed in the regular cause list, forcing us to file separate applications just to obtain a hearing,” Anjum told EWTN News.

“Muslim lawyers sometimes openly threaten us in front of judges and mobilize madrassa students outside courtrooms. The risk of external pressure and mob intimidation influencing judicial proceedings remains very high.”

Pakistan ranked 123rd out of 143 countries in the World Justice Projectʼs 2025 Rule of Law Index for absence of corruption, placing it second from the bottom in its regional rankings.

Source: https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/asia-pacific/corruption-in-pakistan-s-courts-hits-poor-christians-hardest-report-finds