Islamabad, December 12, 2018 (PPI-OT): Dr. Shireen Mazari expressed surprise at the US Administration’s decision to add Pakistan to the “blacklist for religious freedom violations”. She said it was apparent the US was using this as a brazen political tactic to pressure Pakistan to mitigate US failures in Afghanistan. The timing of this move reflects this most clearly. Dr. Mazari stated that there is no doubt Pakistan’s record on religious freedom is not ideal but then is the EU’s record much better given the restrictions on churches, the banning of certain dress codes of Muslims, refusal of entry of certain preachers – the list continues.
In our own neighbourhood we have India where Muslims are being targeted and where the BJP is supporting violence against Muslims ostensibly over “beef”. The timing of the US move smacks of pure political blackmailing because it comes in the wake of Pakistan opening the Kartharpur corridor to ease access for the Sikhs of India to their religious places as well as assisting Hindu groups to enter Pakistan for religious purposes when India has sought to prevent Muslims from Pakistan visiting Ajmer for religious purposes.
The deliberate ignoring of India’s shrinking space for its religious minorities by the US while it targets Pakistan is absurd and unacceptable. In case the US is ignorant about the large and diverse presence of Christian churches in Pakistan, the Human Rights Minister said she would like to educate the Trump Administration on this count. At the moment the following diverse denominations of Christian churches are present in Pakistan: Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal (3 separate groups under this church), Evangelical, Renewalist, Salvation Army and then as a separate entity Church of Pakistan directly linked to Archbishop of Canterbury.
Additionally, Dr. Mazari reminded that Pakistan has moved to allow its non-Muslim citizens there own personal laws of marriage and divorce in keeping with their religious strictures. In conclusion, Dr. Mazari stated while we have to move forward to further improve the condition of all our citizens including our religious minorities and other vulnerable groups, the US’s move is not based on any facts but is a purely political move in an attempt to pressure on Pakistan to do its bidding.
Perhaps President Trump needs to be reminded of Prime Minister’s pledge to the Pakistani nation that Pakistan will only act in its own interests and not be a “hired gun” for any other power. It is time for the US to take responsibility for its failures in Afghanistan so that it can do a course correction. And, if it is serious about religious freedoms then it needs to examine the record of Modi’s India and some of its EU allies that are moving to curtail the religious freedoms of its Muslim citizens.
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