WASHINGTON – The United States has placed Pakistan on a special watch list”for severe violations of religious freedom”, a press release by the USState Department link> saidon Thursday.
The move comes days after US President Donald Trump said Pakistan had giventhe US nothing but lies, despite Washington giving it more than $33 billionin aid.
“In far too many places around the globe, people continue to be persecuted,unjustly prosecuted, or imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom ofreligion or belief,” Thursday’s release read. “Today, a number ofgovernments infringe upon individuals’ ability to adapt, change, orrenounce their religion or belief, worship in accordance with theirreligion or beliefs, or be free from coercion to practice a particularreligion or belief.”
The statement also re-designated Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea,Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan as “Countriesof Particular Concern” — an annual practice according to the InternationalReligious Freedom Act of 1998.
Being on the watch list means Pakistan is a step away from being includedin the “Countries of Particular Concern” list.
The list includes “governments that have engaged in or toleratedsystematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”