ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has asked the United States why India was not onWashington’s ‘special watch list on the issue of religious freedom’ despiteunending bloodshed in held Kashmir and grave violation of minorities’rights, diplomatic sources said.
Senior officials at the foreign ministry told The Nation thatlink>Pakistanlink> had presented its case to the USlink> , challenging the ‘discriminatory’ watchlink>list link> .
“If someone has to be put on that list link> ,it is link>Indialink> . They are the ones who have been killingthe Kashmiris and butchering the minorities. We have urged the USlink> not to turn a blind eye tolink>India link> ,”said one official.
He added: “We have sent details on the bloodshed in Kashmir (to the US).This includes pictures, videos and stories. We (Pakistan) have been put onthe watch link>listlink> just because we are not fulfilling the USlink> demands anymore.”
Another official said that Washington had told Islamabad the ‘watch list’was not designed to target link>Pakistanlink> . “This is not a pressure tactics. Itonly aims to improve the human rights,” he said quoting officials fromWashington.
The official said link>Pakistanlink> and the USlink>had “not lost contact” and efforts were on toimprove the relationship.
Last month, the US link> state department addedlink>Pakistanlink> to a special watchlink> list link>onthe issue of religious freedom. Earlier, the USlink> suspended security assistance tolink>Pakistanlink> targeting the Coalition Support Funds.
This week, Pakistan’s ambassador to the US link> AizazAhmed Chaudhry said the US link> must acknowledgethe steps link>Pakistanlink> had taken for protection of humanrights and rights of religious freedom. In a statement, he had saidIslamabad was seeking a clarification from the USlink> on the watchlink> list link> .“We have noted the announcement by the State Department about placement oflink>Pakistanlink> on a Speciallink>Watch link>link>List link> .link>Pakistanlink> is seeking a clarification from the USlink> about its rationale and implications,” headded.