The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has temporarily halted a recent decision by one of its own judges that directed the federal government to form a commission investigating the misuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.
This move comes after Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan had, just last week, ordered the creation of the commission, giving the government 30 days to set it up. The proposed commission was to complete its work within four months, with the option to extend if necessary. His directive was issued during a hearing focused specifically on calls to probe how the blasphemy laws are being misused—a topic that remains dangerously sensitive in Pakistan, where mere allegations have, in the past, led to mob violence and even killings.
That order is now on hold. Today, a two-judge bench—Justices Khadim Hussain Soomro and Azam Khan—heard an intra-court appeal filed by Rao Abdur Rahim and others from the Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan, challenging Justice Khan’s directive.
During the hearing, lawyer Kamran Murtaza, representing the appellants, questioned the legal basis of forming a commission under these circumstances. He argued that the court had not given the petitioners a proper hearing and said some of the cases mentioned were beyond the court’s jurisdiction. He also criticized the tone of the previous order, suggesting it appeared as if the court were acting above the Supreme Court.
In response, the division bench suspended the earlier order and issued notices to all involved parties for further proceedings.
Justice Khan’s original ruling also referenced the disappearance of a woman named Komal Ismail—allegedly a key figure in several blasphemy-related cases. Identified under the alias ‘Iman’, she is believed to have entrapped multiple individuals accused of blasphemy. Her continued absence from court led the judge earlier this month to order the blocking of her national identity card.
The case remains ongoing.
