Islamabad, Dec 21 (TIWN) The US has retained Pakistan among the countries that tolerate religious discrimination, according to a State Depart­ment statement.

The determination, made on Dec 18, includes Myanmar, China, Erit­r­­ea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkm­enistan among the states that have been re-designated as “Countries of Particular Concern (CPC)”. 

The State Department makes these designations under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and countries on the CPC list are classified as “having engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing, [and] egregious violations of religious freedom”.  Countries in this category can face further actions, including economic sanctions, by the United States.