USCIRF Urges President To Raise Religious Freedom Issues With Pakistan Prime Minister

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrives in Washington today for a 4-day visit to the United States. Voice of America reports that he will meet with Secretary of State Kerry today and President Obama on Wednesday.  In a press release on Friday, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom urged Obama "to raise concerns about the dire religious freedom situation in Pakistan, with both Muslims and religious minorities consistently confronting violence or jail."  In July, USCIRF issued a special report on targeted violence against minority religious communities in Pakistan, particularly against Shi'ite Muslims. (See prior posting.)