Pakistan On Religious Freedom Watch List

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) –  has put Pakistan on ‘Watch List’ saying  it is a country of particular concern (CPC)

AUS  government-funded agency, USCRIRF, monitors the status of freedom of thought, conscience and religion across the world.

In its annual report released on Friday, the Commision termed Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, China, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Vietnam as amongst the worst violators of religious freedoms.

It said these countries either discriminate against people for religious reasons or are unwilling or unable to stop religious violence by their citizens.

According to the report, in Pakistan Year 2009 has seen the largely unchecked growth in the power and reach of religiously motivated extremist groups, said the report, referring to the Taliban in the NWFP. Sectarian and religiously motivated violence continues, particularly against the Shias, Ahmadis, Christians, and Hindus, and the government’s response continues to be insufficient.

Quoting Pakistani and international observers,. the report says elements of Pakistan’s intelligence services maintain ties with and provide support to the Taliban and other violent extremist groups, such as the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba.

Many madrassas in Pakistan, the US report notes provide ideological training and motivation to those who take part in violence targeting religious minorities in Pakistan and abroad. Most of these madrassas were registered in mid-2005. This, however, had little if any effect on the content of the schools‘ curricula, and there are still no government controls on the madrassas’ sources of funding.

Ahmadis, Christians, and Hindus also have been targeted in attacks by Sunni extremists and in mob violence conducted with apparent impunity.