Pakistan rejects US religious freedom report, says it lacks transparency

The report listed 17 countries, including Pakistan in countries of particular concern

Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Thursday declared Pakistan's rejection of the US report on religious freedom, criticising it for lacking transparency.

During the weekly media briefing, the spokesperson emphasized that the report overlooks Pakistan's efforts to ensure religious freedom and does not aid in promoting human rights.

The report recommended that the US State Department designate 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 other recommended countries include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, India, Iran, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam.

Mumtaz also announced that the government has approved Gaza's medical students to complete their education in Pakistan. These students will soon join Pakistani medical colleges to pursue studies in cardiology, surgery, and other fields.

Regarding Afghanistan, the spokesperson mentioned that Asif Durrani represented Pakistan at the Afghan conference in Doha. A meeting between Afghan and Pakistani officials took place on July 1, where Durrani highlighted concerns about terrorists receiving support from within Afghanistan.

Both nations are actively discussing these concerns. Pakistan has serious reservations about the support for terrorists originating from Afghanistan, and these issues were addressed during the Doha meetings.