A Pakistani cleric recently honored by the Archbishop of Canterbury is facing renewed scrutiny over allegations that his brother was involved in a group accused of exploiting Pakistan’s blasphemy laws to abduct, torture and extort men.

Tahir Ashrafi, Pakistan’s special envoy on interfaith harmony and chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, received the Hubert Walter Award for his stated commitment to religious tolerance. The award was later withdrawn after earlier controversy surrounding his past remarks about Osama bin Laden.

A subsequent investigation raised further allegations involving Ashrafi and his brother, Hassan Muawiya Ashrafi, who has been accused of leading what victims and investigators have described as a “blasphemy gang.”

The allegations include claims that the group used social media “honey traps” to lure men into sharing material that could be........

© Naya Daur