ON 15 July 2025, Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq of the Islamabad High Court ordered the formation of an Inquiry Commission to investigate allegations raised by the Special Branch Police regarding a purported “Blasphemy Business Gang” involved in pornographic blasphemy cases.

This order came in the backdrop of the Noor Fatima, etc. vs. Federation of Pakistan, etc. case, where six lawyers were reportedly denied the right to defend.

However, the Single Bench’s order was temporarily suspended on 24 July 2025, raising serious questions about the judicial basis and factual integrity of the original directive. One of the central justifications cited in the order for forming the Inquiry Commission was the alleged inaction of the Federal Government following a January 2024 report by the Special Branch of Punjab Police. In paragraph 7(ii), the judge remarked: “the Federal Government’s inaction despite the January 2024 report by the Special Branch of the Punjab Police naming the members of the alleged gang and giving enough basis for justifying a deeper probe into the matter.”

However, a detailed examination of the Federal Government’s actions paints a different picture. An unsigned application lacking........

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