WASHINGTON, 15 August 2021, (TON): The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has welcomed the celebration of religious minorities day in Pakistan, hoping that the government would uphold the vision of inclusiveness and religious freedom advocated by its founding father, Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

In a message on Pakistan’s National Minority Day, USCRIF also posted one of Mr Jinnah’s quotes on its official Twitter site, declaring “you are free: you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion, caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the state.”

USCIRF is a federal commission whose commissioners are appointed by the US president and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives. It publishes an annual report on international religious freedom.

In its 2021 annual report, USCIRF recommended the US government work with the Pakistani government to encourage substantial steps to address extremist rhetoric often preceding attacks on minorities, while protecting freedom of expression.