Daily Times

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom in its annual report 2017 designated Pakistan as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). There are three categories included to designate different countries of the world by the US. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Along with other 16 countries of the world including China and Russia, Pakistan has been placed in tier 1 category; countries mentioned in this list are designated as a CPC under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).

Violence against religious freedom is a global issue, the percentage of which varies in different countries; even larger countries like Russia and China are not free from the religious violence however in the modern world religious vehemence is a crime of utmost savagery. A few months ago, the Russian Supreme Court upheld the verdict of the Justice Ministry by declaring ‘Jehovah’s Witness’ (one of the sects of Christianity) as an extremist organisation and ordered liquidation of all their assets in the country against which the British and American government raised their concerns for breaching human rights of the religious group. Similarly, in the past, the Chinese province Xinjiang, the Uyghur ethnic Muslim minority was warned to surrender the Quran and other Islamic literature failing to which could result in imprisonment. Dilxat Raxit of the World Uyghur Congress told: “We received a notification saying that every single ethnic Uyghur must hand in any Islam-related items from their own home, including Qurans, prayers and anything else bearing the symbols of religion”.

Likewise, religious intolerance in Pakistan has shaped itself into a complex issue, difficult to justify who is responsible for the sectarian or social violence. Mostly religious intolerance starts from primary schools to Universities and Madaris. Being an Islamic county, obviously, every effort is done to prove Islamic supremacy. Hindus, Christians, Ahmadis and Shia communities face religious hatred. From time to time, different groups of dominant sections of the society with their strong action and preaching send messages to religious minorities of their vulnerable situation. Because of the consistent failure of the state to curb religious violence, since 2002 the US Commission on International Freedom of Religion is designating Pakistan as a ‘country of particular concern’. However, the State Department never formally declared Pakistan in this category.

In 2017, once again the country is being designated as CPC under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) on the grounds that Pakistan has failed to reform Blasphemy laws, always reluctant to release prisoners indicted under this law. Moreover, Pakistan is not making a strategy to bring under the ambit of the law to all those who are involved in human rights abuse.

It was recommended in the report that Pakistan must create a special force to protect religious groups in the light of the Supreme Court’s verdict 2014 and bring under radar of prosecution involved in violence against other religions, Creating a conducive environment to promote interfaith dialogue, stressing the government for multilateral arrangements and inviting UN special envoy on freedom of religion, encouraging Pakistani to remove hate content found in curriculum books adding a content, based on tolerance, brotherhood and religious harmony, influence the country to review all blasphemy cases on individual bases and release who have falsely been accused.

A strategy to bring those involved in human rights abuses under the ambit of the law is lacking in Pakistan

To dissuade Pakistan for repealing blasphemy laws and make it a bailable offense and also indict who frame false charges against innocent citizens solely for perusing vendettas.

The release of prisoners of conscience has also been mentioned in the recommendation. Amendments in the anti-Ahmadis laws in the Pakistan Penal Code 298A, B, and C. Over the years Christian marriage act has not been reformed, the result of which appears in forced conversions and marriages. From the independence movement to the present times, minorities have contributed reasonably in the development of Pakistan, it has been forcefully recommended by the USCIRF. to highlight minorities contribution in all spheres of the social structure so to raise the overall tolerance level in the society.

During the government, before PML-N, the graph of the targeted violence against religious minorities was not healthy too but after 2013, intolerance in the society has risen to a point of serious concern. In 2014 according to the UNCIRF. 17 prisoners were on the death row and 19 were served life imprisonment whereas dozens were awaiting trials. The annual report of 2015 said, ‘Pakistan represents one of the worst situations in the world for religious freedom’. The report issued a year before was not different from the latest, more or less all issues raised in the report of 2016 have been repeated in 2017 annual report of the US Commission on International freedom of religion. This report is a complete contrast to the proud success of Pakistan acquiring the position of human rights watchdogs of the United Nations.

Now there are two reasons, Pakistan will have to overhaul the human rights and religious freedom, firstly, to maintain the high standard of the UN criteria as a member of Human Rights Committee. There is an obligation to take serious measures to improve the human rights situation which can be materialised only by bringing down the religious hatred and violent extremism against religious minorities. Human Rights are measured the way marginalised sections of the society are treated and given their due rights in the decision making. Secondly, the recent report by the USCIRF. has levelled a sufficient burden on Pakistan to address the issues raised in the report.

The present US regime is highly unpredictable in its decision, though a sound foreign policy is always in place on the certain issues the US government plans to bring hard challenges for other countries. The present relationship with the US is volatile, therefore, the pressure on different aspects of governance is obvious, human right violations will invite international criticism and an excuse to mount more pressure which will not only harm bilateral relationship but will widen the trust deficit.

In American policymakers, strong lobbyists have driven the country to decide to send direct help to marginalised communities through indigenous organisations of the Middle East. In Pakistan too, the US could enhance its network to strengthen the marginalised sections through USAID. The best option is to work closely with US departments eager to support Pakistan in bringing social balance in the country promoting tolerance giving religious freedom to all.

The writer can be reached at kaleem.dean@mail.com

Published in Daily Times, November 5^th 2017.