Washington, Sept 14(ANI): Investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of extremist attacks on minorities are rare in Pakistan, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom has said in its new report.
The 'July-December, 2010 International Religious Freedom report', released by the US State Department, noted that Pakistan's constitution and other laws and policies "restricted religious freedom and, in practice, the government enforced these restrictions."
The constitution establishes Islam as the state religion, and it requires that laws be consistent with Islam, it pointed out.
"The constitution states that "subject to law, public order, and morality, every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice, and propagate his religion;" in practice, however, the government limited freedom of religion. Freedom of speech was also constitutionally "subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam"," it added.
According to the report, the Pakistan Government "rarely investigated or prosecuted the perpetrators of increased extremist attacks on minorities and the majority promoting tolerance, which deepened the climate of impunity."
Despite the government's steps to protect religious minorities, societal intolerance and violence against minorities and Muslims promoting tolerance increased, and abuses under the blasphemy laws continued, said the report.
"The government did not take adequate measures to prevent these incidents or undertake reform measures to prevent the abuse of the blasphemy laws. Toward the end of the reporting period, the public discourse regarding the blasphemy laws became increasingly heated, which contributed to the government's reluctance to address the issue," it added.
Discriminatory legislation, such as the blasphemy laws and the anti-Ahmadi provisions of law, and the government's failure or delay in addressing religious hostility by societal actors fostered religious intolerance, acts of violence, and intimidation against religious minorities and Muslims alike, the report said.
It observed that Pakistan's blasphemy laws continued to be used as a legal weapon against religious minorities and other Muslims.
"The Ahmadiyya community continued to face governmental and societal discrimination and legal bars to the practice of its religious beliefs. Members of other Islamic sects, Christians, Sikhs, and Hindus also reported governmental and societal discrimination. There were instances in which law enforcement personnel reportedly abused religious minorities in custody," it said.
"Reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice continued, and there were increased reports of human rights and religious freedom activists and members of minorities going into hiding due to a climate of intolerance and fear, especially after the arrest of Aasia Bibi and the controversy surrounding the blasphemy laws," it added. (ANI)
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