Cleric accused of shielding blasphemy blackmail gang in Pakistan

A cleric in Pakistan has been accused of shielding a gang that ran a blasphemy-based extortion racket, according to reports published this week by The Indian Express and The Telegraph. Both outlets said the cleric had previously been honoured by an archbishop, but neither named the cleric in the material available to Skardu Times.

The Indian Express reported that the cleric was accused of shielding a "blasphemy blackmail" gang. The Telegraph reported that the cleric was "linked to an extortion gang" in Pakistan. The reports did not identify the archbishop, the location in Pakistan where the alleged extortion took place, or the source of the accusations.

Skardu Times could not independently verify the claims. No Pakistani official or religious body had publicly commented on the reports at the time of filing.

Blasphemy accusations are a sensitive and often deadly matter in Pakistan. The country's penal code prescribes punishments ranging from fines and imprisonment to the death penalty for offences related to blasphemy. Merely being accused can trigger mob violence, and convictions are rare but accusations are frequent.

Human rights groups and legal experts have repeatedly documented cases in which blasphemy charges were filed to settle personal disputes, seize property, or extort money. In such cases, accusers sometimes threaten to report a person to police or to religious groups unless the victim pays. Courts have also acquitted people after years in prison when evidence was found to be fabricated, but the social stigma and danger often remain.

The reports on the cleric come against that backdrop. If confirmed, the case would be another example of the misuse of the blasphemy law for criminal profit. However, the two reports provided only skeletal details, and the identity of the cleric and the nature of his alleged link to the gang remain unclear.

The story was carried by The Indian Express, an Indian newspaper, and The Telegraph, a British newspaper. Both based their headlines on claims made against the cleric. The Telegraph's wording was more cautious, describing a link rather than an accusation of shielding.

Skardu Times will update this story as more information becomes available.