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01-05-2018, 09:27 AM
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US deals another blow to Pakistan
WASHINGTON: A day after the White House threatened to cancel aid to Pakistan, the US Department of State has put the country on a special watch list for "severe violations of religious freedom".
The State Department released a statement on Thursday pointing out that it had re-designated 10 other nations as "countries of particular concern." In accordance with the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the secretary of state annually designates governments that have engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom. The other named countries are Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. "The protection of religious freedom is vital to peace, stability and prosperity. These designations are aimed at improving the respect for religious freedom in these countries," the statement said, adding, "A number of governments infringe upon individuals' ability to adopt, change, or renounce their religion or belief, worship in accordance with their religion or belief, or be free from coercion to practice a particular religion or belief." The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has recommended keeping a check on Pakistan in the past too, but the previous US administrations avoided taking steps "because of strategic political reasons," said Pakistan's former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani. The Trump administration has been critical of Pakistan for not doing more to combat terrorism and plans to announce stricter actions against it. The White House on Wednesday also declared that further actions were expected against Pakistan soon and that it has shared the plans with the Congress as well. Sabah adds: While stating that US President Donald Trump is frustrated but also values a partnership with Pakistan, the US National Security Adviser HR McMaster has alleged Islamabad only goes after terrorists selectively while it sustains and supports others who act as an arm of its foreign policy. In an interview with Voice of America, McMaster said the US president?s tweet was not a blame-game rather it was America?s effort to communicate clearly to Pakistan that ?our relationship can no longer bear the weight of contradictions and that we have to really begin now to work together to stabilise Afghanistan?.McMaster added that doing so would be a huge benefit to Pakistan. He claimed that Pakistan is operating against the interests of its own people by providing safe havens and support bases for Taliban and Haqqani network leadership who perpetuate hell in portions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. أكثر... 
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العرض الشجري