'Egregious violations of religious freedom': Trump administration nails Pak govt's role

The Donald Trump administration has put Pakistan on the mat yet again. As per a press release issued by Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on Friday, the USA has re-designated Pakistan as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for having engaged in or tolerated “egregious violations of religious freedom”. It has been placed on this list besides countries such as North Korea, Saudi Arabia and China. Maintaining that the USA would not relent in its commitment to safeguarding religious freedom, Pompeo stated that no nation would be allowed to get away with persecuting people based on religion.  

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Imran Khan indulges in fearmongering

The US designation comes at a juncture when Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been busy fearmongering about the rights of Indian citizens. He recently warned that millions of people belonging to a community could flee India in wake of the Citizenship Amendment Act. For the umpteenth time, Khan threatened that this situation could pave way for a nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan. His government’s own record recently came under the scanner at the United Nations as well. 

UN body highlights the plight of minorities in Pakistan

Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a UN body prepared a report, in which Pakistan has been indicted for the deteriorating state of religious freedom in the country. It states that the blasphemy laws were being weaponised to persecute minority groups. It also highlighted the plight of Christian and Hindu communities calling them “particularly vulnerable”. The report observed, "Each year hundreds are abducted and forced to convert and marry Muslim men. Victims have little or no hope of being returned to their families due to the serious threats and intimidation from abductors against the girls and their families.” It added, “This is compounded by the lack of police will to take action, weaknesses in the judicial process and discrimination from both police and judiciary towards religious minority victims." 

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