ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday expressed deep concerns at the alarming rise in violence against Muslims in India and urged the Indian government to curb the rising tide of Islamophobic and hateful acts against Muslims.
In her weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch expressed Pakistan’s deep concerns at the alarming rise in violence against Muslims in today’s India.
On this Ram Navami, she added that anti-Muslim violence was reported in at least eight states of India as extremist outfits organised public rallies to celebrate the festival.
She said that a number of mosques and other Muslim-owned buildings were attacked, adding that a seminary was burned down in Nalanda district of Bihar, resulting, inter alia, in the burning of around 4,500 books, including the Holy Quran.
“The terrifying rise in Islamophobic and hateful acts against Muslims in India is a consequence of the pursuit of a majoritarian Hindutva agenda and anti-Islam and anti-Muslim rhetoric rife in Indian politics,” she said.
She said that Pakistan welcomes the statement of OIC expressing its concern on rising anti-Muslim incidents in India and urges India to take firm action against the extremists for fomenting communal violence and hatred against Muslims.
“India must take demonstrable steps to curb the rising tide of Islamophobia, to provide protection to Muslims for practicing their faith and account those responsible for such hateful acts. We reiterate our concerns about the safety and well-being of Kashmiri leaders and human rights defenders who are under incarceration in prisons across IIOJK and India,” she added.
She said that Pakistan also welcomes the statement of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Mary Lawlor and endorsed by Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association Clément Nyaletsossi Voule.
The Special Rapporteur has highlighted the continuing repression of Kashmiri civil society in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). She has explained how the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is being applied to smear and silence civil society, media, and human rights defenders. She has urged India to end its crackdown against Kashmiri human rights defenders.
“We endorse her statement that India must be held accountable where it violates human rights obligations. We also urge India to bring an end to suppression of journalists and human rights defenders and to its policy of stifling freedom of expression and assembly in the occupied territory,” said the spokesperson.
To a question about the remarks of the Indian external affairs minister, the spokesperson said that the remarks reflect Indian politicians’ unhealthy obsession with Pakistan after they failed to malign and isolate Pakistan at diplomatic front.
She said that Indian politicians, in their anti-Pakistan rhetoric, very conveniently overlook the developments in their country where the social fabric has been ripped apart due to the extremist Hindutva ideology.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023