ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday strongly slammed India’s stance on minority rights, stressing that New Delhi is in no position to champion the cause given its own record of systematic discrimination and violence against minorities.
Responding to media queries regarding remarks made by India’s External Affairs Minister in the Lok Sabha and the related discussion on the situation of minorities in Pakistan, the Foreign Office Spokesperson Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan dismissed the Indian allegations as baseless and misleading.
The spokesperson emphasised that state institutions in Pakistan actively work to safeguard minorities as a matter of policy, ensuring their security and rights.
In contrary, India has witnessed numerous repeated instances of violence against minorities, often with the tacit approval—or even complicity—of elements within the ruling establishment, he added.
“The systematic promotion of hatred, discrimination, and violence against minorities in India is well-documented,” FO spokesperson pointed out. “From the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to the bulldozing of homes; from the 2002 Gujarat massacre to the 2020 Delhi pogrom; from the demolition of the Babri Mosque in 1992 to the consecration of a temple on its ruins in 2024; from cow vigilantism and mob lynching to attacks on mosques and shrines—India’s record is marred by egregious and systemic violations of minority rights, particularly those of Muslims.”
The Foreign Office spokesperson emphatically urged the Indian government to focus on addressing its internal failures instead of making baseless allegations against Pakistan.
He remarked that rather than feigning concern for minorities elsewhere, the Indian government should do well to address its own failures. New Delhi must take concrete steps to ensure the safety, protection, and well-being of minorities—including Muslims—and safeguard their places of worship and fundamental rights.
Pakistan reiterated its commitment to protecting the rights of all religious communities within its borders and called on the international community to take note of the ongoing persecution of minorities in India.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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