US report on religious freedom raises concerns over Pakistan's treatment of minorities

The United States voiced concerns over the religious freedom in Pakistan citing the incidents of targeted killing of minorities including Shia and Ahmadiyya Muslims. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released the 2019 International Religious Freedom Report on June 10 which has documented major instances of violation of religious freedoms across the world.

The report said that continuous attacks on holy places, cemeteries, and religious symbols of Hindu, Christian, and Ahmadiyya minorities have been observed. It said that human rights activists reported numerous instances of societal violence related to allegations of blasphemy and efforts by individuals to coerce religious minorities to convert to Islam. There have also been reports of societal harassment, discrimination, and threats of violence directed at members of religious minority communities.

“NGOs expressed concern about what they stated was an increasing frequency of attempts to kidnap, forcibly convert, and forcibly marry young women from religious minority communities, especially young Hindu and Christian women,” the report said.

According to Ahmadi civil society organizations, the report said, the government failed to restrict speeches inciting anti-Ahmadi violence, despite this responsibility being a component of the NAP. Civil society groups continued to express concerns about the safety of religious minorities. 

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Pompeo targets China

Releasing the report, Pompeo mentioned the case brought before the International Court of Justice by The Gambia regarding crimes against the Rohingya. He said that the United Arab Emirates has become the first country in the Middle East to permit the construction of a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The top US diplomat targeted China for state-sponsored repression against all religions, especially the mass detentions of Uighurs in Xinjiang. Pompeo said that he was humbled and honoured to meet with several survivors of the Chinese Communist Party’s massacre at Tiananmen Square that happened 31 years ago.

“We have the rule of law; China does not.  We have free speech and embrace peaceful protest.  They don’t. We defend religious freedom; as I just noted, China continues its decades-long war on faith,” the State Secretary said.

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