European Union (EU) expressed its concern over the persecution of minorities in Pakistan and threatened to suspend all subsidies and trade preferences to Islamabad if it does not take measures to "dismantle" its "discriminatory system". 51 members of European Parliamentarian written a letter to Pakistan PM Imran Khan on Tuesday and said, "Over the last few years, religious extremist groups, often with the support of the Pakistani State, have grown in influence, further generating religious prejudices against minorities. Concomitantly, instances of attacks against minorities, their places of worship etc. have also increased year upon year."

 

 

 

They said, "As members of the European Parliament, we would wish to remind the Islamic Republic of Pakistan that the oppression of religious minorities violated the United Nations treaty on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which is the foundation for the International Convent on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), a binding UN human rights agreement. We would be compelled to suspend all subsidies and trade preferences until the effective implementation of the Convention could be assured by the Government of Pakistan". They even accused the previous and present governments for encouraging acts of violence by radical Islamic group on the religious minorities. Citing particularly the case of Asia Bibi, EU members expressed their concern over intolerant and violent acts against non-Muslims.

 

They even cited the report of Movement for Solidarity and Peace in Pakistan (an NGO), which mentioned that “at least 1000 girls belonging to religious minority groups, Christian and Hindu communities, often minors, are "kidnapped and forced to marry Muslim men every year".