ISLAMABAD   -   Pakistan yesterday terms US report on religious freedom as biased, unilateral and baseless.

Speaking at a weekly news briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the recent report on religious freedom by the US Department of State was politically biased.

Baloch firmly rejected the assertions made about Pakistan. She argued that it does not accurately reflect the situation in Pakistan.

She emphasized that Pakistan views international religious freedom through a lens of its own social and legal frameworks and maintains that such reports should be transparent in their methodology and free from bias.

The US report earlier designated 17 countries, including Pakistan, as Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) due to alleged severe violations of religious freedom. The report criticized Pakistan for systemic issues such as the enforcement of blasphemy laws and the failure to protect religious minorities from forced conversions.

Baloch said Pakistan upholds the religious rights and freedoms of its citizens as enshrined in its constitution, with these rights protected by an independent judiciary. She maintained the unilateral reports do not contribute to the promotion of human rights. Baloch said Pakistan is set to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of Governments meeting this October.

She noted that Pakistan currently holds the rotating Chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of Government, which is the second-highest decision-making body within the SCO.

She highlighted that the October summit will be preceded by a Ministerial meeting and several rounds of senior officials’ meetings, which will focus on financial, economic, socio-cultural, and humanitarian cooperation among SCO member states.

Baloch confirmed that as the current Chair, Pakistan will extend invitations to all heads of government of SCO member states to attend the summit in person. She expressed optimism that all member states will be represented.

On Afghanistan, Baloch noted that Asif Durrani represented Pakistan at the Afghan conference in Doha. A meeting between Afghan and Pakistani officials took place on July 1, where Durrani highlighted Pakistan’s concerns about terrorists receiving support from within Afghanistan, she elaborated.

“Both the nations are actively discussing these issues to improve bilateral relations and address security concerns,” she said.

The spokesperson said Pakistan expressed serious reservations about the support for terrorists originating from Afghanistan.

She said the concerns were directly addressed during the Doha meetings, indicating a critical dialogue aimed at resolving security issues and enhancing cooperation between the two neighboring countries.

She said Pakistan will allow medical students from Gaza to complete their medical education in Pakistan.

“The decision was made on the directions of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar by the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC). This would enable Gaza students to continue their medical education in Pakistan on humanitarian grounds.” She said.

“Palestinian Students from Gaza in batches of 20-30 will soon join medical colleges in Pakistan. The decision will enable Gaza students to complete their medical education in Pakistan in the fields of cardiology, orthopaedics, oncology, paediatrics and surgery to address the critical needs in Gaza’s health care system,” she said..

Regarding the arrest of prominent Kashmiri lawyer Mian Abdul Qayoom on what Pakistan considers fabricated charges, Baloch condemned the action as political vendetta. She called on Indian authorities to release Qayoom and other political prisoners in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Baloch reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to supporting the Kashmiri cause in line with UN Security Council resolutions.