A diplomatic setback between Pakistan and US
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Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO), on Wednesday, rejected the US State Department’s arbitrary and selective assessment that has placed Pakistan among “countries of particular concern” (CPC) under its International Religious Freedom Act.
The FO stated, “This is completely against the realities on the ground and raises serious doubts about the credibility of the exercise. Such subjective designations do not contribute towards promoting the cause of religious freedom worldwide”.
It also said that it is regretful that the United States of America has disregarded the “fact that Pakistan and the US have been constructively engaging on the subject at the bilateral level”. ------------------------------
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The US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, announced that America identifies Pakistan, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Nigeria, North Korea, Myanmar, and Eritrea as CPCs, and blames them for accepting “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom”.
The FO remarked, “The glaring omission of India, where the RSS-BJP regime and their leaders openly disregard religious freedom and discriminate against minority communities in an institutionalized manner is unfortunate and puts the credibility of the US report into question”.
It added, “It is no secret that attacks by cow vigilantes and mob lynchings of Indian Muslims take place regularly, with complete impunity for the perpetrators. Systematic demonization, dispossession, marginalization and targeted violence against Muslims using the communal slur of ‘love jihad’ in Hindutva-inspired India has become commonplace”.
