US Gives National Interest Waiver to Pak on CPC Designation

Washington, Dec 21 (PTI) The Trump administration on Friday gave "national interest waiver" to four countries, including Pakistan, which were designated as "countries of particular concern" for having engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom.

The four countries Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan along with Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea and Sudan were last month named as "countries of particular concern" (CPC) by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for their gross violation of religious freedom.

Such a designation under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, would have automatically attracted sanctions and other punitive measures from the United States.

Prominent among these include designations or sanctions against individuals and organisations responsible for suppression of freedom in these countries.

However, these sanctions and designations can be done away with a waiver as required in the "important national interest of the United States" as per section 407 of International Religious Freedom Act.

In a federal notification, Pompeo gave national interest waiver to the four countries.

For other countries, including Burma and China, the existing restrictions like export control would continue, a federal notification said.

The Secretary of State also designated Comoros, Russia and Uzbekistan as "special watch list" countries for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom, it said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)