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Pakistan

U.S. places Pakistan on watch list for religious freedom violations

The U.S. State Department has placed Pakistan on a special watch list for “severe violations of religious freedom,” it said on Thursday, days after the White House said Islamabad would have to do more to combat terrorism to receive U.S. aid. The State Department also said it had re-designated 10 other nations as “countries of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act for having engaged in or tolerated egregious violations of religious freedom. The re-designated countries were China, Eritrea, …

American Islamist Charity Openly Partners with Designated Terrorists


American Islamist Charity Openly Partners with Designated Terrorists In December, the Muslim American charity, Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD), organized a conference to honor ‘World Disability Day’ at a government-managed college in the Pakistani city of Timergara. This seems like a noble cause. But Islamist groups often use noble causes to advance their agenda. And HHRD is one such Islamist group. Sponsors of the HHRD event in Pakistan included the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), the charitable wing of Lashkar-e-Taiba, …

Strict security arrangements as Ahmadi convention gets underway in Qadian, India

Qadian, India: The 123rd annual convention of India’s Ahmadiyya Muslim community commenced in Qadian, India on Friday. The convention began with a traditional flag hoisting ceremony at the convention grounds near Nangal Bagbana Qadian. The ‘Jalsa Salana’ has become an international convention over the years, it attracts thousands of visitors each year from over 40 countries including Pakistan, Indonesia, USA, UK, and Germany. #JalsaQadian 1 Day you go. #MyQadianExperience full of blessings. The Promised Messiah prayed for the attendees of #Jalsa and we …

Sikhs told to ‘convert to Islam’ by Pakistani official

The Sikh community in Pakistan’s Northern province has complained of mistreatment after local government officials told them to convert to Islam. Farid Chand Singh alleged that the assistant commissioner of Tall tehsil, Yaqoob Khan told members of the minority Sikh community to convert to Islam if they wanted to get their problems resolved. Singh who represents the Sikh community in the area of Hangu said Khan made the comments when the community members paid him a visit to seek his …

Rabwah students sweep top positions in nationwide annual exams

Students from the small Pakistani town of Rabwah swept up top positions in the annual Secondary School (SSC) and Higher Secondary School (HSSC) exams. A ceremony was held on November 15th in Karachi where the top achievers were honored by Aga Khan University Examination Board, the accrediting body for the exams. Girls outnumbered the boys across the board. In SSC exams Samreen Raja from Nusrat Jehan Academy (NJA) Girls High School scored second across Pakistan with 1029 marks. While five other students …

U.N. member states criticize Pakistan’s Human Rights record

On Monday over two dozen countries criticized Pakistan’s human rights record at the universal periodic review (UPR) of UN Human Rights Council. The criticism came not only from developed countries like the U.S. and U.K but also from developing countries like Ethiopia and Namibia. Majority of the countries made recommendations on the status of women, minority rights, and religious freedom. The United States in its recommendations urged Pakistan to abolish blasphemy laws and protect freedom of opinion and expression. The …

Pakistani Shia cleric warns of dangers posed by Baha’is & Ahmadis

A Pakistani Shia leader has warned that the public and the government should be made aware of the “dangers” posed by Baha’is and Ahmadis. Shia cleric Allama Iqbal Bahishti urged the Government to be watchful of the ‘heretic’ Baha’is & Ahmadis. Allam Iqbal Bahishti who is the provincial secretary-general of Pakistan’s largest Shiite political organization the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) made the comments while speaking to members of the press on November 11. Bahishti said: The Islamic world was split into two …

Pakistani Minister requests non-Muslim Police escort after threat from Islamists

A Pakistani Minister has been forced to conduct a shake-up of his security detail after threats by Islamists. Pakistan’s provincial law Minister, Rana Sanaullah has ordered that only non-Muslim officers be deployed for his security. Pakistan’s intelligence agencies have started conducting background checks on all his security detail and also asked the Minister to restrict his movements. However, sources close to the Minister say that he is not satisfied with the background checks and has already hired a private security firm to take …

Pakistani singer Abrar-ul-Haq expresses support for Islamists

Pakistan’s prominent singer and politician Abrar-ul-Haq has announced his support for Islamists who are protesting against the Government in the city of Narowal. In a video message Haq urged the Government to give in to the demands of the Islamist protestors. The protestors are part of Tehrike-e-Labbaik-Ya-Rasulullah (TLYR) who have shutdown the capital Islamabad for the last few days and have called on the Government among other things to release blasphemy killers, hang blasphemers and limit the activities of Ahmadis, …

میں احمدی نہیں ہوں، پاکستانی وزیر قانون زاہد حامد کا ویڈیو بیان

وفاقی وزیر قانون وانصاف زاہد حامد نے بدھ کے روز ایک ویڈیو بیان میں اپنے مذہبی عقائد کی واضح الفاظ میں وضاحت کرتے ہوئے کہا ہے کہ میں حلفاً بیان کرتا ہوں کہ میں خاتم النبین حضرت محمد کی ختم نبوت پر مکمل اور غیر مشروط طور پرایمان رکھتا ہوں اور یہ کہ میں کسی ایسے شخص کا پیروکار نہیں ہوں جو حضرت محمد کے بعد اس لفظ کی کسی بھی مفہوم یا کسی بھی تشریح کے لحاظ سے پیغمبر …

Rabwah girl gets top position in Pakistan’s spelling bee competition

Girl from Rabwah scored big at the 13th annual Spelling Bee regional competition organized by Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper. The competition was held on October 28th at the Ali Institute of Education in Lahore. Mikail Faisal Ejaz of Aitchison College Middle School, Lahore, Vaneeza Salman Mokal of Bloomfield Hall School, Lahore and Sania Ayala of Maryam Siddiqa Higher Secondary School, Rabwah got top positions in the age 9 to 11 age group. As many as 1,000 schools from across the country …

Pakistani politician who ran ‘Jihadi Camp’ invited to speak at an event in Canada

A Canadian-Pakistani newspaper is set to host a senior Pakistani politician who ran Jihadi camps from his farmhouse. Sheikh Rasheed, President of Awami Muslim League ran a training camp for Kashmiri separatist militants from his farmhouse on the outskirts of the capital Islamabad. Rasheed who is a member of Pakistan’s national parliament is set to speak at Swagat Banquet Hall in Mississauga on October 30th. The event is being hosted by Urdu Times, a weekly Urdu language newspaper which came …