By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday dismissed Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s allegations of minority mistreatment, branding India a “serial violator” with a record of systemic abuses against its own minorities.
Jaishankar, addressing a parliamentary session, accused Pakistan of “crimes and atrocities against minorities,” pointing to 10 alleged incidents targeting Hindus in February, alongside mistreatment of Sikhs, Christians, and Ahmadis.
“We closely track the treatment of minorities in Pakistan,” he said, also alleging the country harbors “UN-sanctioned terrorists” and pursues “state policies” of human rights abuses and democratic erosion.
“… Pakistan is a country where human rights abuses, the persecution of minorities, and the systematic erosion of democratic values are state policies, and it harbours UN-sanctioned terrorists,” Indian minister added.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office hit back, rejecting the claims and asserting that its institutions “actively protect minorities.”
It accused India of hypocrisy. “India is in no position to champion minority rights, as it remains a serial violator of those very rights,” the foreign office said in a statement. “In stark contrast, incidents targeting minorities in India frequently occur with the tacit approval — or even complicity — of elements within the ruling dispensation.”
The foreign office said the systematic promotion of hatred, discrimination, and violence against minorities in India is well-documented.
It cited the 2002 Gujarat massacre, the 2020 Delhi pogrom, and the 1992 Babri Mosque demolition as evidence of India’s “egregious and systemic violations.”
The spokesperson added that such acts occur with “tacit approval — or even complicity — of elements within the ruling dispensation.”
“Rather than feigning concern for minorities elsewhere, the Indian government would do well to address its own failures,” the statement said. “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”.
The exchange follows a U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report on Wednesday, which highlighted worsening religious freedom in both nations. The panel recommended Pakistan remain a “Country of Particular Concern” for “ongoing and egregious” violations and noted rising attacks on minorities in India in 2024.
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