ISLAMABAD, Dec 10: The State Department of the USA has demanded of the Pakistan Embassy in Washington to ‘do a little explaining’ about the state of affairs regarding the condition of minorities in Pakistan.

The Dawn learnt that the US State Department has reacted to a report submitted by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) which alleged that the minorities in both Pakistan as well as in India were being ill-treated and living under certain threats and restraints.

The report has particular mention of the five incidents of ‘terrorist attacks’ on Churches and Christian establishments in Pakistan including the attacks in Bahawalpur, Islamabad, Murree, Taxila and Karachi.

The report is said to have also mentioned the claims by the Pakistan government as well in which the top functionaries and officials have claimed that much has been done and achieved to prevent such attacks and protect the life and property of the minorities in Pakistan.

The sources said that while reacting to the USCIRF report the State Department has approached the Pakistan Embassy in Washington and demanded some ‘explanations’ from Pakistan in this regard.

The deputy chief of the Pakistan Mission, Mohammad Sadiq, communicated with the foreign ministry in Islamabad which in turn has approached the federal interior ministry to submit a comprehensive report regarding these incidents, the outcome of the investigations carried out, the results achieved, killings, arrests and convictions of the alleged terrorists involved in these incidents and other relevant informations.

As a result the interior ministry has directed the chief commissioner, Islamabad, as well as the chief secretaries of Punjab and Sindh to submit these ‘comprehensive reports’ which will be forwarded to the foreign ministry to be passed on to the Pakistan Embassy in Washington.

The official sources said that they were not aware if a similar demand has been made of the Indian government or not despite the fact that similar ‘charges’ are levelled against that country as well.

“We are doing our bit only and not aware or interested as to what might be going on between them (India and the US),” the official sources said.