The United States administration has stated that it opposed the blasphemy laws wherever it was followed in the world, including in Pakistan, as the South Asian country dealt with such a case where a minority community member was attacked on such accusations.
“Violence or the threat of violence is never an acceptable form of expression, and the US uniformly opposes blasphemy laws everywhere in the world, including in Pakistan,” Vedant Patel, the principal deputy spokesperson, said at a press briefing.
He was responding to a question related to the Sargodha incident where hundreds of protesters attacked a Christian community over blasphemy charges.
The mob attacked multiple houses, broke windows, and set the household belongings on fire. Around 44 suspects have been named in the first information report for allegedly trying to lynch a Christian man.
The complaint also invoked Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) and 11WW (lynching) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
In response, Patel admitted that the US was aware of media reports. “As we’ve previously stated, we are always concerned by incidents of religiously motivated violence.”
When asked about five Pakistani soldiers killed in a gun battle with terrorists at the Pak-Afghan border region, he said that the US administration was aware of the reports.
“We are in regular communication with Pakistani leaders as part of our counterterrorism issues, and we’re going to continue to discuss regional security in detail, including through high-level engagements, working-level engagements, and other extensive bilateral consultations as well.”
In response to another question, Patel said: “We have a deep relationship with Pakistan over a number of key areas, and we’ll look for ways in which we can continue to deepen cooperation, particularly in the areas of the economy and security as well.”
