SW News: Christians in Pakistan have expressed concerns over two bills that have passed the country's parliament. The faithful are concerned about these proposals that will enhance the penalties for blasphemy cases.

On August 7, Pakistan's Senate passed the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act 2023, which seeks to toughen the country's blasphemy penalties. On the same day this took place, Pakistan's lower house, the National Assembly, passed the National Commission for Minorities Bill 2023.

However, others have expressed concerns about the bill's capacity to adequately protect the rights of religious minorities.

The Act has made a significant adjustment in the penalty for insulting the Prophet Mohammed's friends, spouses, and family members. The prior three-year jail term has been significantly extended with this modification to a life sentence or a minimum of 10 years in prison.

Following the bill's approval by the Pakistani National Assembly in January 2023, civil society and religious minority groups expressed worries that it might be used to discriminate against them and exacerbate rights violations.

Furthermore, civil society organizations in Pakistan say that the project violates the United Nations Paris Convention, which requires national institutions to respect human rights.

Furthermore, the Bill opposes the Supreme Court of Pakistan's decision on June 19, 2014, to strengthen the National Commission for Minorities' Rights. In 2020, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan issued a study stating that an alarming number of 69 people have died in extrajudicial mob violence related to blasphemy claims since 1990.