Friend or Foe? Pakistan Rejects US Claims of 'Country of Particular Concern'
© AP Photo / Anjum Naveed
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Last week US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken released a press statement titled "Religious Freedom Designations," in which he named countries that, according to the US, have committed violations of religious freedom.
In the list there are many countries, including Myanmar, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
These countries, according to the US State Department, are "Countries of Particular Concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and have been called out for having "engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom."
Furthermore, Blinken placed Algeria, the Central African Republic, Comoros, and Vietnam on the "Special Watch List" for allegedly engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom.
"Our announcement of these designations is in keeping with our values and interests to protect national security and to advance human rights around the globe. Countries that effectively safeguard this and other human rights are more peaceful, stable, prosperous and more reliable partners of the United States than those that do not," the press release read.
Rejecting Allegations
Following the release of the press statement Pakistan's Foreign Office was taken aback to be included in the "Countries of Particular Concern."
The Foreign Office's spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, said in her weekly media briefing that Pakistan feels "deep concern and disappointment" regarding the US State Department’s remarks.
"Pakistan has a multi-religious and pluralistic society with a rich tradition of inter-faith harmony. Religious freedom and the protection of rights of minorities are guaranteed in the Constitution and enforced through a range of legislative, policy and administrative measures," the Foreign Office spokesperson said.
Zahra Baloch added that there are other countries that are major violators of religious freedom, but which were omitted from the list.
9 December 2022, 11:32
"This conspicuous omission raises serious questions about the credibility and transparency of the entire process and makes it a subjective and discriminatory exercise," Baloch said.
Some analysts pointed to the fact that India and Nigeria, two countries that are routinely in the news regarding religious clashes, were omitted from the list.
Regarding the US State Department’s allegation about Pakistan reportedly serving as a safe haven for terrorists, Baloch rejected the allegations, saying that Pakistan is a country that has suffered enormously from terrorism in the past few years.
"Instability in Afghanistan and our region has created a situation that has resulted in the loss of lives of civilians and law enforcement officials. Pakistan is a victim of terrorism," she said.
It should be noted that during the peak of instability between 2007 and 2014, there were 3,700 terrorist attacks in Pakistan, with some 1,200 schools destroyed and over 50,000 people killed. Furthermore, over one million were displaced internally as a result of the ongoing conflict involving insurgent groups and the military.
The rise in terrorism in Pakistan was a result of the War on Terror that the US launched in Afghanistan and Iraq following 9/11.
The US often proclaims "fear" for its national security and democracy, but such lists are often labeled unjust and arbitrary by the leaders of the countries that fall into them.
The question arises: is anyone holding the US accountable for its human right's abuses? It seems like each time Blinken releases such statements, his own country and its allies are given a free pass.
Is there any accurate list that counts how many civilians were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan by NATO forces? Or has a list been calculated on how many innocent children died in North Waziristan, Pakistan, while US drones bombed villages "looking" for Osama Bin Laden?
According to a report called "War Related Death and Injury in Pakistan, 2004-2011" by Neta C. Crawford from Boston University, the US was involved in causing harm that led to civilian deaths in three main ways: "drone strikes, military operations at the border, and in special operations forces attacks inside Pakistan. Further, US support for Pakistan's fight against militants included the training and equipment of Pakistani military forces. In addition, although its operations are secret, it appears that the US Central Intelligence Agency was involved in occasional targeted killing in Pakistan, which may also result in civilian casualties."
Factually Incorrect, Misleading
Talking about Blinken's double standard list, Pakistani publication Dawn also released a statement denouncing the accusation and raising an interesting observation.
"This year, just as last year, Pakistan has been retained on the list of ‘Countries of Particular Concern’ where religious rights’ violations are concerned. Other states on this dubious list include China, Cuba, Iran, Russia and Saudi Arabia. With the exception of the Saudis, all of the states listed are geopolitical adversaries of the US, while it is not apparent whether Washington considers Pakistan a friend or a foe," the statement read.
Furthermore, the list comes at a time when ties between Islamabad and Washington are already quite shaky, as earlier, in October, US President Joe Biden called Pakistan "one of the most dangerous nations in the world." He added that the country’s nuclear weapons arsenal is "without any cohesion."
Biden's comments came during a private Democratic Congressional Campaign committee reception hosted in California.
In response to the statement Pakistan summoned the US Envoy Donald Blome for an official demarche in Islamabad.
The Prime Minister’s Office too released an official press note, dismissing Biden’s comment as "factually incorrect and misleading".
It further said that Pakistan and the US had a long history of a "friendly and mutually beneficial relationship" and that it was "critically necessary that sincere and durable efforts are made to recognize the real potential of Pakistan-US relationship" at a time of great global problems.
Of course this is not the first time that Biden's comments were "factually incorrect and misleading." He probably forgot what he said as soon as he said it without thinking about the repercussions of such statements, but calling a country "most dangerous" for the whole world to hear without any proof is no laughing matter.
Ironically, Biden's bizarre comment came just a few days after the US Embassy in Islamabad held a diplomatic reception on September 29 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of US-Pakistan ties.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.
