Pakistan calls India ‘serial violator’ of minority rights

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Saturday India is in no position to champion minority rights, as it remains a serial violator of those very rights.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan on Saturday responded to media queries concerning the remarks made by the Indian External Affairs in Lok Sabha and the related discussion on the situation of minorities in Pakistan.

He said that in Pakistan, state institutions actively worked to safeguard minorities as a matter of policy.

In stark contrast, incidents targeting minorities in India frequently occurred with the tacit approval or even complicity of elements within the ruling dispensation.

The systematic promotion of hatred, discrimination, and violence against minorities in India was well-documented.

“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 lynchings to attacks on mosques and shrines, India’s record is marred by egregious and systemic violations of minority rights, particularly those of Muslims,” the spokesperson added.

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Rather than feigning concern for minorities elsewhere, the spokesperson said the Indian government would do well to address its own failures.

“It must take concrete steps to ensure the safety, protection, and well-being of minorities including Muslims and safeguard their places of worship, cultural heritage, and fundamental rights,” it was stressed.