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| Sunday, 22 January 2006 |
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US to raise religious rights with Pakistani PM WASHINGTON, Jan 20,(AFP) A US Congress mandated commission urged President George W. Bush Friday to highlight what it called "severe violations" of religious freedom in Pakistan during his meeting Tuesday with the country's Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. Concerns about religious freedom and other human rights are a critical element of US interests in Pakistan and should be prominent on the bilateral agenda, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom said in a letter to Bush, a copy of which was given to the media. Sectarian and religiously-motivated violence had been committed by Sunni Muslim extremist groups against Shia Muslims, Ahmadis, Hindus, and Christians, it said. The commission also cited discriminatory legislation, saying it had led to religious intolerance and eroded the social and legal status of religious minorities, particularly the Ahmadi community. Another concern, it said, was blasphemy charges, which were "often false" and resulted in lengthy detention of and sometimes violence against Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis, and other religious minorities, as well as some Muslims. |
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