WASHINGTON: A US government-appointed panel urged Washington Tuesday to step up pressure on Pakistan over religious freedom, warning that risks to its minorities have reached a crisis level.
In an annual report, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom also raised concerns about what it called a worsening situation in China, as well as problems in Egypt, Iran, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and other nations.
The commission, which advises the government but does not make decisions, called for the United States to designate Pakistan as a “country of particular concern,” meaning it could be subject to sanctions if it fails to improve.
Assessing the year through January 31, the commission said religious freedom violations in Pakistan “rose to unprecedented levels due to chronic sectarian violence” that targeted the Shiite Muslim minority.
“The government continues to fail to protect Christians, Ahmadis and Hindus,” the report said, charging that blasphemy and other laws “are widely used to violate religious freedoms and foster a climate of impunity.”
Sunni Muslim extremists over the past year have killed hundreds of Shiites in Pakistan, especially Hazaras -- a community originally from Afghanistan that is known for its comparatively liberal attitudes.
“Pakistan is in a crisis right now with these particularly severe violations of religious freedom,” said Knox Thames, the commission’s director of policy and research.
AFP
