It will make "insults, profanity, derision, and representation of Allah and Muhammad" punishable by up to two years in prison or a significant fine, with repeat offenders facing four years behind bars.
John Pontifex, from Aid to the Church in Need, a charity that helps persecuted Christians, warned that under Pakistan's blasphemy laws, extremists "take matters into their own hands and mete out ‘justice', committing heinous crimes against people whom they decide are guilty, totally ignoring due legal process".
The Barnabas Fund, which also assists Christians facing discrimination, noted that the introduction of the bill "indicates the increasing strength of Islam in public life in Tunisia, which before the Arab Spring was one of the most secular countries in the region."