Religious leaders reject US list on religious freedom
Ulema Council Chairman Tahir Ashrafi says minorities in Pakistan safer than in US
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman and Special Representative of Prime Minister on Religious Harmony Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi on Friday rejected the US designation of Pakistan as a country of concern regarding religious freedom.
Talking to media persons, Ashrafi said the report prepared by United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (UCIRF) was based on “bigotry, bias, lack of knowledge and for the propaganda purposes which had no link to the reality.
Earlier this week, Pakistan and China were among several countries designated by the US State Department as countries of “particular concerns” regarding religious freedom on the recommendation of the UCIRF. However, the State Department rejected the proposal to place India in the list as well.