Blasphemy in the Electoral Politics of Pakistan

This paper aims to contribute to the existing corpus of literature on the role of religion in Pakistan's politics by taking the issue of blasphemy as a central variable. The research examines how the issue of blasphemy is used in Pakistan's politics by the mainstream political parties across the political spectrum, from far-right to center-left, by analyzing the parties' slogans, manifestos, rhetoric, and mobilization tactics in the 2018 general elections. To make sense of why these parties are utilizing blasphemy as a political tool, the paper also employs a conceptual framework towards the end of the paper. By understanding how blasphemy is instrumentalized in the country’s politics, the paper seeks to provide a fresh perspective on the interplay between religion, and politics in Pakistan.