In other news, a US commission on religious freedom today expressed disappointment on the omission of countries like Pakistan and Vietnam from the list of nations designated as of particular concern on religious freedom.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton designated eight countries of particular concern -- Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan - for having long-term, chronic and egregious violators of religious freedom.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom said six other countries -- Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam too had been included in the list which it recommended to the State Department early this year.