Aug 5, 2022

USCIRF Releases New Report Highlighting Religious Freedom in Pakistan

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:

Pakistan Country Update – This report examines religious freedom conditions and the growing intolerance for religious diversity fueled by extremism and existing problematic Pakistani legislation, citing recent attacks against religious minorities in the country. Religious minorities or anyone who interprets or practices their faith differently from the majority are subject to frequent attacks and threats, including accusations of blasphemy, targeted killings, lynchings, mob violence, forced conversions, and the desecration of their houses of worship and cemeteries. Members of the Shi’a Muslim, Ahmadiyya Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and Sikh communities face increasingly aggressive societal discrimination often propagated by extremist rhetoric and enabled by Pakistani authorities who are unable or unwilling to protect these minorities.

In its 2022 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. State Department designate Pakistan as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].