ISLAMABAD – Foreign Office has totally rejected the United States’pronouncement about religious freedom in Pakistan as politicallymotivated.
In a statement, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisalcategorically stated Pakistan does not need counsel by any individualcountry how to protect the rights of its minorities.
He said besides the clear biases reflected from these designations, thereare serious questions on the credentials and impartiality of theself-proclaimed jury involved in this unwarranted exercise.
The spokesperson said Pakistan is a multi-religious and pluralistic societywhere people of diverse faiths and denominations live together.
Around 4 percent of our total population comprises citizens belonging toChristian, Hindu, Buddhists and Sikh faiths.
He said ensuring equal treatment of minorities and their enjoyment of humanrights without any discrimination is the cardinal principle of theConstitution of Pakistan.
Special seats have been reserved for minorities in the Parliament to ensuretheir adequate representation and voice in the legislation process.
A vibrant and independent National Commission on Human Rights isfunctioning to address concerns on violation of the rights of minorities.
Foreign Office spokesperson pointed out that successive Governments havemade it a priority that rights of citizens belonging to minority faiths areprotected as guaranteed by the law and the Constitution.
The higher judiciary of the country has made several landmark decisions toprotect the properties and places of worships of minorities.
He said Pakistan has devised legal and administrative mechanisms tosafeguard the rights of its citizens.
The spokesperson regretted the proponents of human rights worldwide closetheir eyes on systematic persecution of minorities subjected to aliendomination and foreign occupation such as in the Indian occupied Kashmir.
He said an honest self-introspection would also have been timely to knowthe causes of exponential rise in Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in the US.