ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office, on Thursday, categorically rejected the “baseless” assertions made about Pakistan in the recent report on religious freedom released by the US Department of State and opposed “such unilateral reports” that make observations on the internal affairs of sovereign states.

Speaking at her weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that as a matter of principle, Pakistan opposes such unilateral reports that make observations on the internal affairs of sovereign states.

In its 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom, the State Department designates 17 countries, including Pakistan, as Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) due to “severe violations of religious freedom, criticizing the country for systemic issues like the enforcement of blasphemy laws and the failure to protect religious minorities from forced conversions.”

The report highlighted a number of targeted cases against members of religious minorities and also alleged that police at times killed or physically abused members of religious minorities or failed to protect individuals from violence linked to religion.

Citing data from the Center for Social Justice (CSJ), the report claims that “329 persons were accused of blasphemy during the year, of whom 75 percent were Muslims, 20 percent Ahmadi Muslims, and 3.3 percent Christians. One Hindu was also accused; the faith of the others was unknown.”

“Pakistan categorically rejects the baseless assertions made about Pakistan in the recent report on religious freedom released by the US Department of State. We believe that International Religious Freedom cannot be viewed from the lens of any single country’s social and legal perspective,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said while giving the official response of the government of Pakistan.

She added that unilateral reports assessing other countries’ human rights situations are not free from political bias and present an incomplete and distorted picture, adding that the methodology adopted in preparing these reports and the mandate and expertise of its authors are not transparent.

“It is unfortunate that the report refers to certain incidents in Pakistan last year without highlighting the strong political will, shown by the government of Pakistan to hold the perpetrators accountable as well as the remedial efforts undertaken and the legal and administrative protections in place for religious minorities,” she stated.

She said that Pakistan strongly believes that each State itself has the primary responsibility to promote and protect the religious rights and freedoms of its nationals.

“Pakistani citizens are entitled to the freedom of religion and belief under the law and as enshrined in Pakistan’s constitution. These rights and constitutional guarantees are protected, upheld and reinforced by an independent judiciary. Such unilateral reports therefore do not contribute to the promotion of human rights,” she added.

To another query about the recently passed US Congress resolution with regard to Pakistan, she said that Pakistan is engaged with the US on many issues including the resolution through several channels of communication that exist between the two countries. She said that the two sides discuss issues of mutual concerns, including trade and security issues through these channels.

She said that Pakistan’s ties with the US are multifaceted, diverse and longstanding, adding that these ties are based on mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.

On the UN working group report with regard to the detention of former prime minister Imran Khan, she said that the Minister for Law and Justice has already responded to the report. She reiterated that the constitution of Pakistan guarantees the right and freedom of all its citizen, adding that these rights are protected by the country’s judiciary.

“Pakistan is a vibrant democracy, with robust institutions in place for defending justice and upholding the rule of law. For anyone facing legal proceeding, there are adequate avenues and mechanism in place to seek justice and redressal of any grievances,” she added.

She said that the courts of Pakistan adjudicate questions of law as per Pakistani laws and they will determine the innocence or otherwise of any individual under trial.

On the meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin held on Wednesday at the sidelines of SCO’s Council of Head of States meeting in Astana, she said that the discussion held in the meeting was part of the efforts to find a common ground for the mutual benefit of the two countries.

Terming Pakistan-Russia ties being on a positive trajectory, she said that the two countries have been consulting each other on several aspects of bilateral cooperation which has increased in recent years including in economic and trade matters; connectivity as well as consultation on regional issues, including on Afghanistan.

In response to a question about the next SCO summit to be held in Pakistan in October this year, she said that in its capacity as the chair, Pakistan will extend invitations to all heads of government of the SCO member states.

“This summit will be held in person and expect all members of the SCO will be represented at the heads of government meeting being held in October,” she expressed the hope.

She said that Palestinian students from Gaza in batches of 20-30 will soon join medical colleges in Pakistan. The decision will enable Gaza students to complete their medical education in Pakistan in the fields of cardiology, orthopaedics, oncology, paediatrics and surgery to address the critical needs in Gaza’s health care system, she added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024