Pakistan slams US for listing it as place of ‘particular concern’ for religious freedoms
LAHORE, Pakistan (AA) – Pakistan has rejected the US State Department’s listing of the South Asian country as a state of “particular concern” for religious freedoms, saying that the claim is “detached from realities on the ground.”
Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch expressed her disappointment with the issue, calling it a “unilateral and arbitrary designation.”
Earlier on Monday, the US State Department released a list of 11 places where religious freedom is threatened, to which Pakistan was also added. The list includes China, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea.
According to the State Department, countries that engaged in or tolerate particularly serious violations of religious freedom are placed on the list, which is updated annually.
Foreign Office spokeswoman Baloch said this act is “detached from the realities on the ground,” denouncing the US for discriminating against Pakistan and ignoring India, which, according to the official, is a notorious perpetrator of minority rights violations but is not on the list.
Pakistan, she noted, is a multi-religious country rich in interfaith harmony traditions.
“We are a pluralistic society and the constitution of Pakistan protects the rights of minorities. We have conveyed our reservations to the US on this placement,” she said.
Although Pakistan has previously been on the list, the country was not included on the list last year, which had been heralded as a great milestone.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
