Pakistan on Monday categorically rejected its designation as “a Country of Particular Concern” by the U.S. State Department under the International Religious Freedom Act.
“We are deeply dismayed that the designation is based on biased and arbitrary assessment, detached from ground realities,” said the Foreign Office in a press release.
The remarks came in the backdrop of a press release from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on religious freedom designations, placing Pakistan in the category of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC).
According to MoFA, “Pakistan is a pluralistic country, with a rich tradition of interfaith harmony. In line with its Constitution, Pakistan has undertaken wide ranging measures to promote religious freedom and protect minority rights.”
“We note with deep concern that India, the biggest and serial violator of religious freedom, has once again been excluded from the U.S. State Department’s designation list,” the FO said, adding “this is despite clear recommendation by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) as well as public concerns raised by international human rights constituencies about India’s maltreatment of religious minorities.”
The FO said the “conspicuous omission” raised serious questions about the “credibility, transparency and objectivity” of the entire process.
“We remain convinced that such discriminatory, unilateral and subjective exercises are counterproductive and undermine our shared objective to advance religious freedom globally,” the press release said.
The FO said Pakistan strongly believed that the contemporary challenge of religious intolerance, xenophobia and Islamophobia can be best countered through constructive engagement and collective efforts based on mutual understanding and respect.
“With a similar spirit, Pakistan has bilaterally engaged U.S.”
It said Pakistan’s was in process of conveying its concerns the U.S. side about the designation.
