India’s MEA’s statements regarding Pakistan’s Shia community dismissed

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday dismissed recent statements from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) regarding Pakistan’s Shia community, terming the remarks cynical and a “diversionary exercise in deflection masquerading as concern.”

In a statement, the spokesperson for the Foreign Office Tahir Andrabi stated that India’s comments cannot mask its own record of the steady normalization of discrimination and violence against Muslims, Christians, and other marginalized communities.

He pointed to a documented pattern of curbs on worship, mob vigilantism, and the systematic targeting of homes and livelihoods within India.

The spokesperson emphasised an escalating wave of mob lynchings targeting Muslims, describing the trend as a climate of unchecked brutality.

According to the data provided by the Spokesperson, more than 55 Muslims were reportedly lynched in India during 2025, while over 19 Muslims have been killed by violent mobs since January 2026.

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The statement further noted that extremist groups have unlawfully sought the destruction of 11 mosques, alleging that perpetrators often act with impunity enabled by state patronage.

Pakistan urged India to address these “serious and well-documented concerns” within its own borders and to ensure the protection of its minority populations in accordance with constitutional and international obligations. The Spokesperson concluded by calling on New Delhi to refrain from making unfounded and politically motivated statements regarding other nations.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026