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Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Pakistan faulted for treatment of minorities

By Khalid Hasan

WASHINGTON: According to the latest International Religious Freedom Report issued by the State Department on Friday, while the Pakistani government took some steps to improve the treatment of religious minorities last year, serious problems remain as the government has failed to protect religious minorities’ rights.

The report said that discriminatory legislation and the government’s failure to take action against people hostile to those who practiced a different faith fostered religious intolerance.

It said that Ahmadis had continued to face legal bars to the practice of their faith. While other minority religious communities generally were able to worship freely, their members faced governmental discrimination, it said, adding that security forces did not adequately prevent societal abuse against minorities.

It said that specific government policies that discriminated against religious minorities included the use of “anti-Ahmadi laws”, blasphemy laws, and Hudood Ordinance.

AFP adds: The US also assailed Iran for its treatment of religious minorities in addition to allies like Israel and Saudi Arabia, in the report.

The report listed 20 countries where the treatment of religious minorities remained of “interest” to the US.

Source : www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\09\16\story_16-9-2006_pg7_25