"Pakistan rejects the unilateral and arbitrary designation," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement late on December 24, calling the process "suspicious."
"This pronouncement is not only detached from ground realities...but also raises questions about the credibility and transparency of the entire exercise," the statement said.
On December 18, the State Department redesignated Pakistan along with Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and five other nations as Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for having engaged in or tolerated "systematic, ongoing, [and] egregious violations of religious freedom."
Muslim-majority Pakistan is often criticized for laws considered to be discriminatory against minorities, such as the death penalty for committing blasphemy.
Islamabad said the United States' listing highlighted a "selective targeting of countries," and was therefore "unlikely to be helpful to the professed cause of advancing religious freedom."
Pakistan was also enraged that the listing didn't include neighboring India, where hundreds of thousands have been recently protesting against a new citizenship law thought to be discriminatory against Muslims.
The State Department once again also included Russia and Uzbekistan on a Special Watch List for governments that have engaged in or tolerated "severe violations of religious freedom."
Washington said "these designations underscore the United States' commitment to protect those who seek to exercise their freedom of religion or belief."
Source: Reuters
How far would a I get in my academic career as a biologist if I told the lead professor in the biology department that I believe in intelligent design.
The opportive word in the above sentence of course is BELIEVE.
There are two things you could be assured of 1.You would not be recruited to staff a government funded research team and 2. Your peers would become a lot less inclined to hang out in your corner at the faculty Lounge.
But keep it up America you might think we don't need any allies but they know they don't need us, it's just a matter of time before they can act and not be afraid of us trying to rebuild their country in our hypocritical image.