State Department Should Designate Pakistan a “Country of Particular Concern”
In its International Religious Freedom report issued on September 13, the U.S. State Department failed to designate Pakistan as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) despite the significant deterioration of religious freedom in the country. Iran, China Saudi Arabia, Burma, Eritrea, North Korea, Sudan and Uzbekistan were noted in the report as having governments that “engage in or tolerate ‘particularly severe violations’ of religious freedom, where the abuses are “egregious, ongoing, and systematic.” In a May 2011 letter, Freedom House joined other human rights groups in calling on the State Department to designate Pakistan a CPC given the pervasive violence against religious minorities and the impunity that is enjoyed by militant groups. The State Department’s decision to leave Pakistan off the list sends the wrong signal to those that espouse religious intolerance and undermines the message that the Pakistani authorities are obligated to protect their citizens and uphold the rule of law.
Religious minorities and other freedom of expression advocates have faced and continue to face virulent attacks by religious militants who have been bolstered by the country’s highly restrictive blasphemy laws that contravene international human rights standards. Additionally, the constitution and other legislation, such as the Official Secrets Act, authorize the government to curb freedom of speech on a range of subjects including criticism of the armed forces, the judiciary, and Islam. The country’s blasphemy law, which permits the death penalty for violators, has been at the root of significant violence against both religious minorities as well as mainstream Muslims who speak out against its existence. The archaic law has yet to be repealed or reformed and those who have publicly spoken out against it have been assassinated, including Punjab Governor Salman Tasseer and Federal Minister of Minority Affairs Shabhaz Bhatti. After several high profile murders, the government has taken modest steps to address the situation, including the creation of a ministry of “national harmony” as well as the addition of four permanent senate seats reserved for minorities. These are inadequate piecemeal steps at best and do little to tackle the root of the problem. They are unlikely to adequately address the depth of religious intolerance and violence that plagues the country. Pakistan was one of seven countries examined in a study by Freedom House which analyzed how governments use blasphemy and hate speech laws to legitimize crackdowns on minority groups, dissidents and other heterodox sects, ostensibly with the goal of maintaining ‘social harmony.’
Freedom House is disappointed with the decision not to designate Pakistan as a CPC and strongly urges the State Department to do all in its power to more vocally press the Pakistani authorities to continue to engage in judicial reform and guarantee genuine protections for all religious minorities and freedom of expression advocates.
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Religious minorities and other freedom of expression advocates have faced and continue to face virulent attacks by religious militants who have been bolstered by the country’s highly restrictive blasphemy laws that contravene international human rights standards. Additionally, the constitution and other legislation, such as the Official Secrets Act, authorize the government to curb freedom of speech on a range of subjects including criticism of the armed forces, the judiciary, and Islam. The country’s blasphemy law, which permits the death penalty for violators, has been at the root of significant violence against both religious minorities as well as mainstream Muslims who speak out against its existence. The archaic law has yet to be repealed or reformed and those who have publicly spoken out against it have been assassinated, including Punjab Governor Salman Tasseer and Federal Minister of Minority Affairs Shabhaz Bhatti. After several high profile murders, the government has taken modest steps to address the situation, including the creation of a ministry of “national harmony” as well as the addition of four permanent senate seats reserved for minorities. These are inadequate piecemeal steps at best and do little to tackle the root of the problem. They are unlikely to adequately address the depth of religious intolerance and violence that plagues the country. Pakistan was one of seven countries examined in a study by Freedom House which analyzed how governments use blasphemy and hate speech laws to legitimize crackdowns on minority groups, dissidents and other heterodox sects, ostensibly with the goal of maintaining ‘social harmony.’
Freedom House is disappointed with the decision not to designate Pakistan as a CPC and strongly urges the State Department to do all in its power to more vocally press the Pakistani authorities to continue to engage in judicial reform and guarantee genuine protections for all religious minorities and freedom of expression advocates.
Learn more:
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