Pakistan Sees Increasing Attacks Targeting Religious Minorities

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report: 

Pakistan Country Update – This report highlights religious freedom conditions in Pakistan, including recent and escalating attacks against religious minorities that have targeted Ahmadiyya Muslims, Hindus, and Christians. It details the government’s enforcement of anti-Ahmadiyya and blasphemy laws to restrict the rights of religious minorities and its lack of willingness to address associated mob violence.

In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State redesignate Pakistan as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its toleration of systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan legislative branch agency established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress, intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected]

Religious Freedom in Kazakhstan Remains Poor Despite Government Claims

Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report on Kazakhstan:

Kazakhstan Country Update - In June 2025, a USCIRF delegation traveled to Kazakhstan to meet with civil society and government officials to discuss religious freedom conditions. USCIRF found that religious freedom conditions in Kazakhstan remain poor. The government maintains a series of laws that restrict religious freedom, including the religion and extremism laws. This legislative framework permits local authorities to arbitrarily target religious minority communities, particularly non-Islamic groups. To distract from such religious freedom violations, the Kazakh government heavily invests in interfaith cooperation efforts. This country update provides an overview of the legal framework regulating religion in Kazakhstan, an update on violations impacting independent Muslims and minority religious groups, and an analysis of the government’s interreligious dialogue efforts.

In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended Kazakhstan for inclusion on the U.S. Department of State’s Special Watch List for engaging in systematic and ongoing violations of religious freedom. In September 2025, USCIRF held a hearing on laws impacting religious freedom conditions in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan.  

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan legislative branch agency established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected]. 

China has perpetrated gross religious freedom violations against religious groups of recognized religions through its “sinicization of religion” policy. However, the government also persecutes many religious groups of unrecognized religions and spiritual movements, such as Falun Gong and Church of Almighty God, under the Article 300 of the Criminal Law. Article 300, which was adopted in 1997, punishes individuals who organize or participate in “any superstitious sect, secret society, or cult organization” (xie jiao). There are currently more than 20 groups the government recognizes as “cults” under Article 300. Increasingly, the government has also used this criminal statute to target religious groups belonging to recognized religions, particularly Protestant house churches.

On today’s episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast, USCIRF Commissioner Mohamed Elsanousi speaks with Massimo Introvigne, Editor-In-Chief of religious liberty magazine Bitter Winter, to discuss Article 300 and its impacts on religious freedom in China.

Read USCIRF's 2025 Annual Report Chapter on China.