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Pakistani ministry claims 400,000 blasphemy offenses on social media (Licas)

A Pakistani government ministry has reported that 400,000 social-media accounts have posted material that violates the country’s law against blasphemy.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs says that the “extremely blasphemous material” included offenses against Islam, Mohammed, and the Qu’ran. The report cited few details, but said that 140 people had been arrested on blasphemy charges, and eleven sentenced to death for their offenses.

Human-rights groups in Pakistan have regularly complained that the blasphemy laws are exploited by Muslims to oppress religious minorities.