Washington: The US has asked Pakistan to release more than 40 members of the religious minorities facing blasphemy charges and also to appoint an envoy to address the various religious freedom concerns in the country.
Speaking at the release of the annual report on the International Religious Freedom of the State Department for the year 2018, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo noted how the Pakistan’s Supreme Court acquitted Asia Bibi, a Catholic, of blasphemy, sparing her the death penalty after she spent nearly a decade in prison.
“More than 40 others remain jailed for life, or face execution on that very same charge.We continue to call for their release, and encourage the government to appoint an envoy to address the various religious freedom concerns,” Pompeo said as the Congress mandated annual report portrayed a grim picture of religious freedom in Pakistan.
Last year Pakistan was put in Special Watch List category on International Religious Freedom mainly because of the deterioration in religious freedom in the country.
And early this year it was put on the list of Countries of Particular Concern. “The report we’re putting out today, then we will make other determinations off of this report.But we put them on the special watchlist,” Sam Brownback, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, told reporters.
According to the annual report of the State Department, there were at least 77 individuals imprisoned on blasphemy charges, at least 28 of whom had received death sentences, although the government has never executed anyone specifically for blasphemy. “Some of these cases began before the beginning of the year but were not previously widely known,” it said.
Ahmadiyya Muslim community leaders and human rights organisations continued to express concerns that the government targeted Ahmadi Muslims for blasphemy, and they continued to be affected by discriminatory and ambiguous legislation that denied them basic rights, the report said. (PTI)
