IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 764 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on the importance 

of inter-religious dialogue and the protection of religious freedom and 

related human rights for persons of all faiths and nationalities in the 

Islamic Republic of Pakistan. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 23, 2009 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. MCGOVERN) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on 

the importance of inter-religious dialogue and the protection of religious freedom and related human rights for 

persons of all faiths and nationalities in the Islamic 

Republic of Pakistan. 

Whereas the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a multi-religious 

society comprised of Muslims, Christians, Hindus, 

Ahmadis, Parsis (Zoroastrians), Sikhs, Buddhists, Baha’is, and others; 

Whereas support for religious freedom and related human 

rights in Pakistan will help ensure the future of Pakistan 

as a free, strong, and vibrant society and that enduring 

stability in Pakistan will come from an active civil society 

in which religious freedom flourishes; 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
2 

•HRES 764 IH 

Whereas there is a correlation between the lack of religious 

freedom protections for all, the persecution of religious 

minorities, and the rise of religious extremism, which 

threatens Pakistan’s national security and ultimately 

United States national security interests; 

Whereas Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan, envisioned a nation of religious plurality and equality; 

Whereas while Islam is the state religion, the Constitution

states that ‘‘subject to law, public order and morality, 

every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice, and 

propagate his religion’’ and that there shall be no discrimination in rights based on religion in the provision of 

government services, property rights, education and public access; 

Whereas the government of President Asif Ali Zardari and 

Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani appointed the first 

cabinet-level official on religious minorities, Minister of 

Minorities Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti, on November 3, 2008, 

to protect the rights of minorities as envisioned under the 

1973 Pakistan Constitution; 

Whereas the Government of Pakistan allocated a quota of 

five percent of all federal jobs for members of minority 

religious groups through a law passed and implemented 

on May 26, 2009; 

Whereas, in 2008, the Government of Pakistan for the first 

time recognized the holidays of minority religious groups 

in addition to Muslim holidays; 

Whereas, on August 11, 2009, President Zardari declared 

August 11 as ‘‘Minorities Day’’ to celebrate and recogVerDate Nov 24 2008 01:54 Sep 24, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR764.IH HR764

jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
3 

•HRES 764 IH 

nize the role that Pakistan’s minorities played in the 

country’s independence and development; 

Whereas the parliament unanimously passed a resolution denouncing the August 1, 2009, attacks against Christians 

in Gojra, Punjab, and affirming that their rights should 

be protected in accordance with the vision of the founder 

of Pakistan; 

Whereas the U.S. Commission on International Religious 

Freedom has found that a number of Pakistan’s laws, including those criminalizing blasphemy and restricting the 

rights of Ahmadis, frequently result in imprisonment on 

account of religion or belief and/or violence against the 

accused; 

Whereas blasphemy allegations, which often are false and for 

which due process is lacking, result in the lengthy detention of and sometimes violence against Muslims, as well 

as Christians, Ahmadis, Hindus, and members of other 

religious minorities; 

Whereas extremist groups have used the blasphemy laws to 

trigger sectarian violence, intimidate members of religious 

minorities and others with whom they disagree, and exploit these laws for their own political ends; 

Whereas Prime Minister Gilani has expressed support for reviewing the blasphemy laws for which prescribed penalties 

include life imprisonment and the death penalty, saying 

‘‘a committee will review the laws detrimental to religious 

harmony to sort out how they could be improved’’; 

Whereas education is a major vehicle for the transmission of 

ideas, attitudes, and beliefs, and some madrassas (religious education institutions) in Pakistan have taught extremist doctrine in support of terrorism; 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
4 

•HRES 764 IH 

Whereas interfaith dialogue reflects the multi-religious nature 

of Pakistan and the vision of Pakistan’s founder; 

Whereas the foreign policy of the United States is to promote 

internationally the right of everyone to freedom of 

thought, conscience, and religion in accordance with 

international human rights standards and the United 

States Government supports interfaith dialogue among 

persons of all faiths and nationalities; 

Whereas reducing extremism and related violence is a key 

goal of the United States in its relations with Pakistan; 

and 

Whereas Minister of Minorities Affairs Bhatti has launched 

an initiative on interfaith dialogue, which promotes interreligious respect and tolerance at the national level, and 

establishes at the district and local levels interfaith councils designed to promote respect among different religious 

communities and counter religiously motivated enmity 

and violence: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that the United States should— 

3 (1) ensure the promotion of inter-religious dia4 logue and protection of religious freedom and related 

5 human rights are key components of the United 

6 States engagement strategy with the Islamic Repub7 lic of Pakistan by— 

8 (A) clearly articulating a concern for up9 holding religious freedom and related human 

10 rights as an essential element of United States 

11 engagement with Pakistan; 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
5 

•HRES 764 IH 

1 (B) supporting efforts by the Government 

2 of Pakistan to foster inter-religious dialogue by 

3 using its civilian financial assistance to 

4 strengthen initiatives by the Ministry of Minori5 ties Affairs to promote inter-religious respect 

6 and tolerance at the national level, and to es7 tablish at the district and local levels interfaith 

8 councils designed to promote respect among dif9 ferent religious communities and to counter re10 ligiously motivated enmity and violence; 

11 (C) supporting Pakistani civil society insti12 tutions that work to uphold and guarantee reli13 gious freedom and related human rights and 

14 ensuring that nonmilitary assistance emphasizes 

15 respect for human rights, religious freedom, 

16 civil society, constitutional processes, and demo17 cratic institutions; 

18 (D) using its nonmilitary financial assist19 ance to Pakistan to strengthen institutions cru20 cial to Pakistan’s democratic development, par21 ticularly the judiciary and police; 

22 (E) expanding programs leading to the 

23 sustained engagement of the United States with 

24 the Pakistani people, such as the Fulbright 

25 Program, the International Visitor Program, 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
6 

•HRES 764 IH 

1 and other exchanges for professionals, students, 

2 and religious and civil society leaders from all 

3 of Pakistan’s diverse communities; 

4 (F) urging the Government of Pakistan to 

5 set national textbook and curriculum standards 

6 that actively promote respect for the religious 

7 beliefs of others; and 

8 (G) ensuring that the United States Em9 bassy and the United States Agency for Inter10 national Development (USAID) mission support 

11 these initiatives; 

12 (2) support efforts by the Government of Paki13 stan to protect the religious freedom of all Paki14 stanis and prioritize the prevention of religiously mo15 tivated and sectarian violence and the punishment of 

16 its perpetrators by— 

17 (A) investigating acts of religiously moti18 vated and sectarian violence, and punishing per19 petrators in a timely manner; and 

20 (B) repealing the blasphemy laws; and 

21 (3) urge the Government of Pakistan to review 

22 other legislation that restricts the right to profess, 

23 practice, and propagate religion or that constitutes 

24 discrimination on the basis of religion or belief in 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
7 

•HRES 764 IH 

1 order to bring Pakistani law into conformity with 

2 international human rights standards. 

Æ 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS