In the black

It needs to be admitted that Pakistan does not respect the freedom of religious minorities. Too much official and societal discrimination still exists, as the persecution of Christians and Ahmadis, killings of Hazaras and forced conversion of Hindus shows. That is something the state of Pakistan does need to make efforts to rectify. But to have this pointed out by the US, which has now placed Pakistan on a blacklist of countries that violate religious freedom, is bizarre when one sees the way the American president behaves and the current US government’s policies, as well as the recent resurgence of anti-Semitism in the US. While placing Pakistan on the blacklist, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did issue a waiver from any sanctions that might be placed – although that will make little difference given the end of most aid by the Trump administration. The response from Pakistan’s Foreign Office has been one of indignation, calling it a “unilateral and politically motivated pronouncement” and suggesting that the US look at its own record on religious freedom.

It is hard to avoid the conclusion that our blacklisting is linked to the downturn in relations between the two countries. Last year, the Trump administration placed Pakistan on a watch list and has now seemingly upgraded that status in a likely pressure move. Since the US no longer has the leverage of cutting off aid, it is resorting to other measures to assert control. Pakistan’s blacklisting by the Financial Action Task Force looks to be another such attempt. It is telling how countries that are allied to the US such as Israel – a literal apartheid state – do not face censure by the US State Department. India was added to the watch list back in 2009 after anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat and Orissa but no further action was taken when the extremist BJP government came to power with an explicitly chauvinistic Hindutva ideology.

It is obvious that the US is using the principle of religious freedom to advance its foreign policy agenda. Just earlier this week, outgoing US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley had said that the US should not have given a single dollar to Pakistan. Trump had written a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan asking for Pakistan’s help in bringing the Afghan Taliban to the negotiating table but the subsequent actions and rhetoric of the superpower show little has changed. This active hostility on the part of the US will need to be handled carefully.