(CP) The U.S. Fee on Worldwide Non secular Freedom has once more really useful that the State Division designate Pakistan a “Nation of Particular Concern,” citing blasphemy legal guidelines as the principle supply of violations of non secular freedom.
The U.S. State Division doesn’t undertake all of USCIRF's suggestions in its annual designation of nations that observe or tolerate gross violations of non secular freedom, however has designated Pakistan as a CPC every year since 2018.
In line with a 2024 USCIRF report, Pakistan continues to witness widespread abuses of non secular freedom, together with blasphemy legal guidelines, pressured conversions of minority ladies, and focused violence in opposition to non secular minorities.
Blasphemy legal guidelines, significantly Sections 295-A, B and C of the Pakistan Penal Code, have been criticized for broad and obscure provisions which are usually misused to settle private scores or goal folks of a minority faith within the 96% Muslim nation. The USCIRF report paperwork quite a few instances of people, together with Christians, Hindus and Ahmadis, who’ve been falsely accused and imprisoned beneath these legal guidelines.
The mere accusation of blasphemy can result in mob violence, extrajudicial killings and mass protests, making a local weather of worry and intimidation, USCIRF famous. The current high-profile case of Zohaib Masih, a younger Christian who was wrongly detained and tortured on false costs of blasphemy, exemplifies the continued abuse of those legal guidelines, the company stated.
The report additionally highlighted pressured conversions, significantly younger Christian and Hindu ladies who’re kidnapped, forcibly transformed to Islam and married to their captors. These incidents usually go unpunished attributable to societal and institutional prejudices.
As well as, the USCIRF report highlighted quite a few instances of focused violence in opposition to non secular minorities. Assaults on locations of worship, together with Ahmadi church buildings, temples and mosques, proceed to be a significant issue. The dearth of sufficient authorities response and safety for these communities worsens the scenario, he famous.
USCIRF urged the State Division to designate Pakistan as a CPC, which might expose the nation to attainable sanctions and different diplomatic measures aimed toward bettering non secular freedom circumstances. The fee additionally really useful elevated US help to civil society organizations working to advertise non secular tolerance and human rights in Pakistan.
Within the CPC's newest designations, Pakistan joins Burma, the Folks's Republic of China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, the Democratic Folks's Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan on the checklist of nations that observe essentially the most, respectively. tolerate violations of non secular freedom.
The Pakistani authorities usually dismisses such reviews as biased and politically motivated. Nevertheless, USCIRF insisted that its findings have been primarily based on thorough investigations and credible sources, and urged Pakistan to make vital authorized and coverage reforms to handle violations.
The USCIRF suggestion drew reactions from worldwide and home observers, as church leaders and human rights organizations welcomed the report and known as for speedy motion to guard non secular minorities in Pakistan. Church of Pakistan President Azad Marshall stated the report adequately displays the grim scenario of non secular minorities in Pakistan.
“The worldwide group mustn’t solely strain Pakistan to handle these points, but in addition help it in any method attainable,” Marshall instructed the Christian Every day Worldwide-Morning Star Information. “We wish a protected, free and truthful atmosphere for non secular minorities in Pakistan and it’s the accountability of the state to meet this constitutional obligation.”
Nevertheless, Pakistani officers have criticized the USCIRF suggestions, saying they overlook the federal government's efforts to advertise interfaith concord and shield minority rights.
“We’re dedicated to making sure the security and rights of all our residents,” stated a spokesman for Pakistan's Ministry of Non secular Affairs. “We reject any biased assessments that ignore our progress.”
Samson Salamat, chairman of the Rawadari Tehreek (Equality Motion) advocacy group, rejected the federal government's place, saying repeated acts of mob violence within the title of Islam and continued persecution of minorities contradicted the federal government's narrative.
“USCIRF's suggestion to designate Pakistan as a 'Nation of Particular Concern' underscores the pressing want to handle severe violations of non secular freedom within the nation,” Salamat instructed Christian Every day Worldwide-Morning Star Information.
He stated there had been an alarming enhance in blasphemy allegations in recent times. It additionally led to violent assaults on Christian settlements and people, he added.
Spike in instances of blasphemy
Lots of of individuals in Pakistan have been jailed on blasphemy costs in 2023, many on mere accusation with out proof, with 552 held in jails in Punjab province alone, in line with a current report by the Lahore-based Heart for Social Justice.
As well as, no less than 103 folks have been charged with blasphemy from January to June this 12 months.
Authorities figures submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee confirmed an exponential enhance in blasphemy instances over 4 years – a 30% bounce from 2019 to 2020 and one other 62% enhance from 2021 to 2023, in line with the report. A authorities report acknowledged that 53% of all complaints have been false claims (398).
Authorities figures on complaints from 2018 to 2023 admitted that the conviction fee beneath blasphemy legal guidelines was round 1%, with seven acquittals for each single conviction. Nevertheless, all convictions up to now have been overturned by the Excessive Courts and Supreme Courts of Pakistan, suggesting that even 1% of the convictions lacked advantage.
Muslims accounted for 98.40% of these accused of blasphemy, the report stated.
Since 1987, about 100 folks have been killed on costs of blasphemy, together with 63 Muslims, 26 Christians, seven Ahmadis, one Hindu, one Buddhist, and the faith of two others was unknown.
The ČSJ report additionally famous a rise in religiously motivated murders and lynchings prior to now two years.
“In 2023, no less than six individuals or people have been killed by non-public people after allegedly being accused of blasphemy,” the report added. “Together with two extrajudicial executions, three different folks accused of blasphemy died in jail between June 2023 and 2024. A complete of 11 folks accused of blasphemy have thus misplaced their lives within the final 18 months, together with the most recent incident in Madyan, Swat. .”
The CSJ report additionally criticized the granting of powers to the Federal Investigation Company to research cyber crimes associated to blasphemy legal guidelines in addition to empowering anti-terrorism courts to prosecute instances beneath Part 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code.
“This amounted to an abuse of energy and a miscarriage of justice,” the report stated. “Therefore the exponential enhance within the variety of instances of alleged blasphemy with the FIA. However, particularly perpetrators of mob violence will get away with the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997.”
As within the earlier 12 months, Pakistan was ranked seventh on the checklist of essentially the most troublesome locations for Christianity within the Open Doorways 2024 World Watch Checklist.
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