A court in Lalian, Pakistan (Punjab province), sentenced Ahmadi Muslim Mubarak Ahmad Saani on December 24, 2025, to life imprisonment under Section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code, as well as to three years under Section 298-C. The charges were “desecration of the Qur’an” and “posing as a Muslim.” However, the facts present a different picture: there was no evidence of any physical desecration of the Qur’an. The conviction was based solely on markers of religious identity—such as the use of the title “Hafiz” (“guardian,” referring to someone who has memorised the Qur’an) on donation receipts and the distribution of a Qur’anic exegesis by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. For the first time, personal piety itself is being treated as grounds for criminal liability, creating a dangerous precedent.

The court based its ruling on two provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code that have long been regarded as instruments of discrimination: Section 295, which provides for life imprisonment for desecration of the Qur’an, and Section 298-C, which criminalizes Ahmadi Muslims if they present themselves as Muslims or use Islamic terminology.

These special laws violate the principle of equality (including Articles 1 and 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and stand in clear contradiction to Article 20 of the Pakistani Constitution, which guarantees the freedom to profess, practice, and propagate one’s religion, as well as to international obligations such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Pakistan is bound.

Particularly serious is the court’s reasoning: the use of the title “Hafiz” was considered incriminating evidence, donation receipts bearing religious terminology were used as proof of “posing as a Muslim,” and the distribution of a Qur’anic translation by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was deemed a punishable offense. In effect, his religious practice itself has been criminalized. If, for example, memorizing the Qur’an is considered a crime, then it becomes impossible for Ahmadi Muslims to practice their religion at all.

The Saani case is part of a broader pattern of attacks against Ahmadis: demolition of mosques, desecration of graves, and arbitrary arrests. The United Nations and independent international organizations have warned for years of escalating repression, while the Pakistani government remains inactive or even actively participates in it. Pakistan is a signatory to the ICCPR and benefits from European Union trade preferences (GSP+), which are tied to respect for and protection of human rights.

The International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) calls for the immediate suspension of the verdict and an independent review, the abolition of discriminatory special laws (Sections 298-B/C), and the introduction of safeguards against the abuse of blasphemy laws.

Saba Rana
Human rights expert (International Society for Human Rights; research associate, Ahmadiyya Muslim Lawyers Association)

FIR No. 661/22 dated 06.12.2022 (criminal complaint under Pakistani criminal procedure law) against Mubarak Ahmad Saani