ISLAMABAD: Foreign ministry spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, on Thursday criticized the US State Department for listing Pakistan last week as a “special concern” regarding religious freedom.
Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch expressed disappointment over the US move in her weekly briefing, calling it as a “unilateral and arbitrary position”.
Washington grouped Pakistan with 11 other countries – including China, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and North Korea – as states “engaging in or tolerating particularly serious violations of religious freedom”.
The announcement was made by US Secretary of State, Anthony Blanken.
Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson described the US move as “irrelevant to the facts on the ground”.
The ministry spokesman also expressed concern that India, which Islamabad says is notorious for violating the religious freedoms of minorities, is not on the list.
Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch expressed disappointment over the US move in her weekly briefing, calling it a “unilateral and arbitrary position”.
The spokesperson said Pakistan is a multi-religious and pluralistic society with a rich tradition of inter-faith harmony, religious freedom and protection of minority rights are guaranteed under the country’s constitution.
The spokesperson further said that Islamabad has informed Washington about its reservations on the nomination.
Although it was previously included in the same list, last year Pakistan was not designated as a country of particular concern on religious issues for the first time.
Pakistan usually makes the list on the grounds that it has failed to reform the country’s controversial blasphemy laws.
A mere rumor of insulting Islam can incite mobs and lead to lynchings in Pakistan.
The United States specifically recognizes systematic, ongoing, serious violations of religious freedom, including torture, prolonged detention without charge, enforced disappearances, and other violations. The listing is reviewed annually.
In recent years, Islamic extremists have repeatedly attacked religious minorities in Pakistan, including Shia Muslims and Christians. Members of the Ahmadi sect face severe discrimination and are subject to restrictions due to a 1984 law that prohibits them from posing as Muslims.Responding to a question at her weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, she urged the international community to take notice of this reality.
Replying to a question regarding allegations by some foreign countries about presence of terrorist outfits in Pakistan, the Spokesperson said we completely reject such accusations. She said Pakistan is the country that has suffered enormously from terrorism for the last several years.
She said the instability in Afghanistan and in our region has created a situation, where many people of Pakistan, including personnel of security agencies, have lost their lives. She said Pakistan is a victim of terrorism.
She said there have been undeniable proofs of India’s direct involvement in the state sponsored terrorism inside Pakistan and the global community should take notice of India’s approach of pointing fingers at others.
Answering another question, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch condemned the atrocities being perpetrated in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. She said India is continuing with repression of Kashmiris without any consideration of international human rights laws and norms. She called upon the international community and human rights organizations to pay attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in IIOJK.
Regarding import of gas and oil from Russia, the Spokesperson said we are in touch with Moscow to import crude oil from Russia. She said Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Musadik Malik recently paid a special visit to Russia to discuss matters related to the import of gas and oil from Russia.
