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April 23, 2021
ISLAMABAD: The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom in its annual report 2021 released this month has recommended to the US administration to pursue the reform of Pakistan’s “public educational textbooks, curriculum, and teacher training materials” to ensure the content is inclusive of and not discriminatory toward religious minorities.
The report, while re-designating Pakistan as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, for “engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom”, also seeks the repeal of the “blasphemy and anti-Ahmedi laws” and the release of blasphemy accused. The report said that until the blasphemy law is repealed, Pakistan should enact reforms to make blasphemy a bailable offence, require evidence by accusers, ensure proper investigation by senior police officials, allow authorities to dismiss unfounded accusations, and enforce the existing penal code articles crimin
US Religious Freedom report 2021: Pakistan retained as country of particular concern
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USCIRF asks Biden to impose sanctions on Pak over persecution of minorities
By IANS |
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USCIRF asks Biden to impose sanctions on Pak over persecution of minorities. Image Source: IANS News
New Delhi, April 22 : The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has asked the Biden administration to impose targeted sanctions on Pakistani government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom.
In its annual report released on Wednesday, the Washington-based commission redesignated Pakistan as a country of particular concern (CPC), for engaging in systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom of minorities.
The USCIRF has recommended to the US government to freeze certain Pakistani individuals assets and/or barring their entry into the US under human rights-related financial and visa authorities, citing specific religious freedom violations.
Woman, four kids die in gas explosion
An electric spark caused by leakage flattens two houses
LAHORE:
Four children and a woman were killed and 12 other people injured after a gas leak caused an explosion in Burki, Lahore area.
Two houses collapsed due to the explosion. The Punjab chief minister also sought a report on the incident.
According to police, a call was received on the emergency number at 6:30am on Tuesday that a loud explosion had been heard in Pangali village on Burki Road.
Station House Officer (SHO) Qamar Abbas told The Express Tribune that when he reached the spot, two house covering about 14 marlas had collapsed and there was smell of gas in the area.
In Pakistan, a college teacher was sentenced to ten years in jail for a supposed blasphemous lecture presented in class on January 8, 2021. According to Aljazeera news, judge Raja Jawad announced the decision based on the charges filed in 2017. Another anti-terrorism court sentenced three to death for social media posts deemed insulting to the Prophet Muhammad under Pakistan’s blasphemy law.
In June 2020, Tahar Ahmed Naseem was shot in a courtroom hearing in Peshawar for claiming he was the Prophet, Muhammad. Pakistani Blasphemy laws are known as some of the harshest blasphemy laws in the world; The Diplomat Post going as far as to label them, “bloodthirsty laws.” As shown, these laws propagate violence, discrimination, and unfortunately used as a malicious tool, to target minority groups in Pakistan, and further personal vendettas, while also not being properly enforced.
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