Pak failed to protect minorities' rights: US

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http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=58037

Pak failed to protect minorities' rights: US

Press Trust of India
Posted online: Wednesday, November 09, 2005 at 1500 hours IST


Washington, November 9: The US has said "serious problems" persisted in Pakistan's treatment of religious minorities with a "discriminatory" legislation and the government's failure to act against forces hostile to those practising different faiths.



"The government took some steps to improve the treatment of religious minorities during the period covered by the report, but serious problems remained," the US state department said in its seventh annual international religious freedom report, which was released on Tuesday.

"The constitution requires that laws be consistent with Islam and imposes some elements of Islamic law on both Muslims and religious minorities. Discriminatory legislation and the failure to take action against societal forces hostile to those, who practice a different faith fostered religious intolerance and acts of violence and intimidation against religious minorities", it said.

The report said the Ahmadiyya religious minority continued to face legal bars to the practice of its faith. While other minority religious communities generally were able to worship freely, their members often faced government discrimination.