The Council of Islamic Ideology’s (CII) comments on the Sargodha mob attack are much needed to garner religious and political support for the government in tackling such contentious issues. However, the details matter, and in an attempt to stay balanced in its outlook, the CII may have given further ammunition to those seeking to exploit religious fault lines under the guise of blasphemy.

Let’s start with the main point of the CII’s comments: it condemned the culture of mob vigilantism in the country and reiterated its call for the establishment of special courts to try such cases. This first point is essential; no matter the crime, vigilantism can never be justified. We have seen countless atrocities committed by honor-bound vigilantes, and we need to see no more. Our religious and political leaders need to unite behind this stance.

The second point, the establishment of special courts, merits a much wider discussion. While the duplication of court tracks is generally inefficient, the unique nature of mob violence cases—where individual intent to cause harm and factual evidence of harm being perpetrated are hard to prove in the traditional sense—makes the notion of special courts viable. Laws that define mob vigilantism as a collective act, where the individual’s participation is guilt enough, are needed. Mobs cause violence through incitement and by adding critical mass to the gathering, even if an individual within that mob has not done anything illegal. Special courts, or at least specialized laws, are direly needed.

However, the CII also determined that blasphemy might have taken place and that both sides need to be punished. This statement, despite the fact that the CII has no standing to determine facts under investigation, will cause much turmoil in an already on-edge community. The CII needs to be careful in its formulations; its purpose is to protect against religious disharmony at all costs. Seeking to please both sides will only cause further confusion and confrontation.