Pakistan
On 11 August, 1947 Pakistan’s founder, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, otherwise known as Quaid-e-Azam, said these words: "You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed - that has nothing to do with the business of the state ...". CSW is working to support the people, particularly the religious minorities, of Pakistan in achieving Jinnah’s vision.
CSW’s main concerns in Pakistan are the ongoing injustices and violence caused by the blasphemy laws and the misuse of the Hudood Ordinances. One of Pakistan’s three blasphemy laws stipulates that any person who ‘defiles’ the name of the Prophet Mohammed is punishable by life imprisonment or death. In addition, the Hudood Ordinances give greater weight in court to Muslim male testimony than to other witness statements.