The arrest in Pakistan of a Christian girl for profanity against the Koran has raised fresh questions about the country’s controversial blasphemy laws, which are better known for their misuse than for ensuring Islam is respected.

The laws prescribe the death sentence for those found guilty of committing blasphemy against the Muslim prophet Mohammed or the Koran. They were introduced in the 1980s by the country’s former military dictator, Zai ul Haq, as he sought to gain the support of Islamists.