A research analyst lambasted Pakistan on Sept 29, accusing Pakistan of creating a hostile environment for religious minorities by promoting Sunni Islamist extremism. Conor Owens, a research analyst working with the European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS) while making intervention during the 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council said, “The recent resolution introduced by Pakistan during this Council’s last session in light of Quran burnings in Sweden attempts to diminish. He added, “While religious intolerance should always be condemned, Pakistan’s concern for religious hatred abroad is a blatant display of hypocrisy, as it is unwilling to express the same considerations within its own borders”. Owens told the Council that the rise of Sunni Islamist extremism, cultivated by the Pakistani Military Establishment, has created a hostile environment for religious minorities, including the Shi’a, Ahmadiyya, Christian, Hindu, and Sikh communities. manifestations of religious hatred.”