Then when this extremism erupts in "chronic sectarian violence" against religious minorities such as Ahmadis, Hindus, Shia Muslims, and Christians, the government fails to protect these minorities and prosecute the perpetrators. This has "led to a climate of impunity," she said, where the perpetrators of violence "flourish, and they feel like they will get away with these kinds of outrages."
According to Reuters, the Pakistani government announced Monday that they would give the military authority to crack down on Islamist militants in the province where the attacks took place.
Although the government has recently pledged to take action to stop this violence – most notably after Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (the Pakistani Taliban) killed 145 at a school in December 2014 – Swett said it "remains to be seen" if they will actually take the necessary steps to do so.
The government may say the right things, she said, but when it comes to law enforcement, taking "swift and fair action through the court systems" against perpetrators of violence, and actually enforcing legal punishments, they may fail to do so.
In addition, the country's notorious blasphemy laws must be reformed, she insisted. Pakistan has the most prisoners sentenced to death or life imprisonment from blasphemy convictions in the world, she noted, because existing laws allow for someone to be convicted of blasphemy simply based on the testimony of another, without further evidence.
"That is in clear contravention to building a society where differences and differing points of views and religious tolerance and religious freedom are well-respected and well-enshrined," she said
All these problems combine create a "climate of extremism" and a "climate of impunity" that leads to these attacks, she added.
"How can you say that you are acting on all fronts to uphold religious freedom, to uphold social harmony and tolerance, when Pakistan's constitution and its criminal laws basically criminalize a whole peaceful, wonderful Muslim community, namely the Amadi Muslim community, within Pakistan?" she asked.
The U.S. State Department could actively help by designating Pakistan a "Country of Particular Concern," she said. This list is for countries where serious and ongoing violations of religious freedom occur, and the U.S. government can take actions, such as imposing economic sanctions, against these nations.
Matt Hadro was the political editor at Catholic News Agency through October 2021. He previously worked as CNA senior D.C. correspondent and as a press secretary for U.S. Congressman Chris Smith.