Pakistan restricts religious freedom, practice

A day after a mob killed three Ahmadis in Gujranwala, the US State Department pointed out that Pakistan’s constitution and laws restrict religious freedom and prohibited Ahmadis from practising their faith.

“Although the constitution declares that adequate provisions shall be made for all citizens to profess and practise their religious beliefs freely, other constitutional provisions and laws impose limits on this right,” notes the department’s annual report on international religious freedom.

The report, released on Monday also notes that according to the constitution and penal code, “Ahmadis are not Muslims and are prohibited from calling themselves Muslims or their belief Islam, as well as from preaching or propagating their religious beliefs, proselytising, or insulting the religious feelings of Muslims.”

The report, which is sent to the US Congress as an official document, points out that punishment for violation of these provisions is imprisonment for up to three years and a fine.