Days after India, Pakistan rejects US report on religious freedom, calls it ‘baseless’

New Delhi: Days after India rejected the US State Department report on international religious freedom, Pakistan on Thursday “categorically” rejected the report saying it made “baseless” claims, News agency IANS quoted Pakistani media as saying. The statement came in response to a US State Department report which highlighted the need to improve “interfaith tolerance, inclusion and harmony” in the country. Based on several events from 2022, the US-based report said that “several political leaders used inflammatory religious language to attack their political rivals.”

Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told the weekly briefing that Pakistan respects religious freedom and protects its citizens. “We strongly reject the baseless claims made about Pakistan in the International Religious Freedom Report released by the US State Department. Such ill-informed reporting activities about the internal affairs of sovereign states are meaningless, reckless and unhelpful.”

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Geo News reported that the spokesperson challenged the report and rejected its findings, adding that Pakistan wanted to cooperate with the world to end racial discrimination and Islamophobia. “We are proud of our religious diversity and pluralistic social fabric. The Constitution of Pakistan provides a strong framework for comprehensive legal, policy and affirmative measures to protect and promote the rights and freedoms of all Pakistanis, regardless of their Belief whatever.”

“These rights and constitutional guarantees are protected, upheld and strengthened by an independent judiciary,” Baloch said.

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“In our conversations, including with the United States, we have expressed grave concern about the growing rise in anti-Muslim hatred, racism and Islamophobia. We look forward to working with international partners to combat these harmful forms of religious intolerance, discrimination and Islamophobia.”

‘Misinformed, flawed’: India on US report on religious freedom

India on Tuesday rejected the US State Department’s report on international religious freedom, saying it was based on “misinformation and flawed understanding”. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, ‘We are aware of the release of the US State Department’s 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom. Sadly, such reports continue to be based on misinformation and flawed understanding. He further said that the reports are motivated and biased remarks by some US officials that only serve to undermine the credibility of these reports. But we will continue to exchange openly.”

The remarks came in response to the US State Department’s 2022 report on International Religious Freedom, where it alleged arbitrariness by various state governments in India against minorities, especially Muslims.