Society is generally hostile to those who renounce Islam (apostasy), and it is widely considered to be a form of blasphemy. Many Christian converts practice their faith in secret as conversion is seen as shameful and an act of betrayal to their family and community. Some face ostracism, restrictions on their movements including surveillance and ‘house-arrest’ by their family and seizure of religious books used for private worship. Christian converts are unlikely to be able to attend church, due to fears of societal violence against the church community.
There is no specific statutory law that criminalizes apostasy in Pakistan. In 2007, a bill to impose the death penalty for apostasy for males and life imprisonment for females was proposed in Parliament but failed to pass. Nevertheless, some scholars believe that the principle that “a lacuna in the statute law was to be filled with reference to Islamic law” could potentially apply to the crime of apostasy.
Although no examples of anyone actually being criminally prosecuted for apostasy were found, conversion is not without consequence. It has been reported that if a married Muslim couple converts to another religion, the couple’s children become illegitimate and may become wards of the State. In addition, according to one report, though it is theoretically possible to change one’s religion from Islam, in practice, the state attempts to hinder the process.
Converts from Islam and atheists may also be vulnerable to Pakistan’s blasphemy law, which prescribes life imprisonment for desecrating or defiling the Quran and the death sentence to anyone for using derogatory remarks towards the Prophet Mohamed. There is no law against religious conversion, but renouncing Islam (apostasy) is widely considered to be a form of blasphemy.
Professor of Law, Javaid Rehman, who investigated ‘the uses and abuses of certain interpretations of Sharia law and the Quran’, defined apostasy in a 2010 publication by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies:
- ‘Apostasy (also known as Ridda) occurs when a Muslim (by his words or actions) renounces and rejects Islam. Rejection or criticism of the All Mighty or His Prophet is perceived as an insult to Islam, offensive and routinely regarded as blasphemous. Blasphemy connotes the insult of God or Prophet Mohammad and other revered figures in Islam, and can be committed by believers and non-believers alike. Apostasy from Islam and blasphemy against Islam therefore remain (and have always remained) unacceptable.’
There is no law in Pakistan against religious conversion though according to Shehryar Fazli, Senior Analyst and Regional Editor at the International Crisis Group (ICG), speaking at European Union Agency for Asylum conference on Pakistan in October 2017 said:
- ‘A person who converts out of Islam will be accused of apostasy.’
In January and February 2021, the All Party Parliamentary Group for Pakistani Minorities held an inquiry on the abduction, forced conversion and marriage of religious minorities in Pakistan and heard from multiple stakeholders on the issue. The subsequent report, which summarized the evidence heard, noted that, whilst there was no law against conversion, ‘If a Muslim changes his or her religion, they are ostracized from family and society and face substantial risks of being charged with Pakistan’s draconian blasphemy laws.’
