Wishesh magazine february 2018 Wishesh magazine february 2018 | Page 78

WORLD NEWS
List, it is for the countries
that engage in severe
violations of the religious
freedom and may not up
to the level of ‘Countries of
Particular Concern’ (CPC).
Frank R Wolf created this
new category in International
Religious Freedom Act
of 2016. The designation
aims at improvising respect
towards religious freedom in
these countries.
Pakistan put under
special watch list by US
78
for severe violations of
religious freedom
Pakistan has been put on ‘Special Watch List’
for ‘severe violations’ of religious freedom by
The United States. The newly-formed list has only
Pakistan on it currently.
Also, US re-designated
about 10 countries under
its International Religious
Freedom (IRF) Act as
‘Countries of Particular
Concern’. The countries
are Burma (Myanmar),
Eritrea, china, Iran, Sudan,
Saudi Arabia, North Korea,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and
Uzbekistan.
As per US, the list has
WWW.WISHESH.NET | FEBRUARY 2018
Pakistan in it because it
continues to abide extra-
judicial violence in the guise
of opposing blasphemy and to
harass its religious minorities.
Further, it has state-
sanctioned discrimination
against groups like Ahmadis.
As per the research, Pakistan
is among the countries with
most restrictions on religion.
About the Special Watch
This Special Watch List
automatically imposes
economic and political
sanctions which are
designated to the countries
to step below designating it
as CPC. IRC International
Religious Freedom Act
which was amended to
Frank R Wolf International
Religious Freedom Act to
have President to designate
‘Special Watch List’ of
countries deemed to not
meet all the CPC criteria;
however who engaged
in violations of religious
freedom.
Under the Act of 1998
IRF, US Secretary of
State annually designated
governments that have
tolerated or engaged
systematic, continuous
and egregious violations
of religious freedom as
CPC. The aim of these
designations are to improve
the respect for religious
freedom in these countries.