LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Bar Association has strongly condemned rights activist Dr Farzana Bari’s description of Section 295-C and other religious protection laws as “black laws,” calling upon state institutions to take legal action against those responsible for the remarks.
In a press release issued on August 28, 2026, the Association referred to a press conference held at the National Press Club in Islamabad on August 22, where it said Dr Bari and her associates used the expression while discussing Sections 295-A, 295-B, 295-C, 298-A, 298-B and 298-C of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The provisions cited by the Association relate to offences involving religious sentiments, desecration of the Holy Quran, derogatory remarks concerning the Holy Prophet ﷺ and other revered Islamic personalities, as well as laws regulating the activities of the Ahmadi community.
Signed by LHC Bar Association President
The press release, signed by Lahore High Court Bar Association President Babar Murtaza Khan, urged state institutions to hold the individuals associated with the controversial press conference accountable and initiate strict legal proceedings against those found responsible.
The Association said it would oppose any amendment or legislative change that undermined the purpose, substance or effective enforcement of the provisions. It maintained that efforts to make these laws controversial, demand their repeal or assist campaigns contrary to established constitutional and legal principles would not be tolerated.
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Debate of Freedom of Expression
While acknowledging that every citizen possesses the constitutional right to freedom of expression, the Bar said the right remained subject to the Constitution and the law. It added that freedom of expression could not be invoked to justify hurting religious sentiments, provoking unrest or causing harm to the country’s constitutional and legal order.
The Association reaffirmed what it described as its complete commitment to the supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law. It also pledged to continue working for the legal protection and effective enforcement of the religious provisions identified in the statement.
Conclusion
Concluding the press release, the Association specifically described the defence and constitutional protection of Section 295-C, which concerns derogatory remarks against the Holy Prophet ﷺ, as a religious responsibility of every Muslim.
The statement represents a forceful institutional response from one of Pakistan’s major bar associations to growing calls by certain rights activists for the repeal or amendment of the country’s blasphemy laws.
