Islamabad, Mar 10 (IANS): Pakistan should take legal action against Islamists and those responsible for threats and violence against minorities and other groups, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said.
The appeal came after a mob torched dozens of houses in a Christian-majority area in Lahore, forcing hundreds of Christians to flee, the Daily Times reported Sunday.
The attack followed allegations of blasphemy against a Christian man.
"The Punjab government has spent almost its entire five-year term in office being in denial about threats to minorities," said Ali Dayan Hasan, the Pakistan director at HRW.
"Unless Pakistan's federal and provincial authorities are following a policy of wilful discrimination, law enforcement authorities need to put aside their prejudices and protect religious minorities who are clearly in serious danger," he said.