PM says Nankana incident against his vision

Imran Khan says it is against his vision to back oppression against minorities

Prime Minister Imran Khan. PHOTO: REUTERS

ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Imran Khan has set apart the difference between a recent altercation between two groups near Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib and the ongoing anti-Muslim campaign in India, pointing out that while the Narendra Modi-led regime backed persecution of minorities, the PTI government had zero-tolerance for it.

The premier made the comments in a tweet on Sunday – a day after the Foreign Office clarified that the incident, which the Indian media and the BJP government tried to paint as a communal issue, was only a scuffle at a tea stall near the gurdwara.

The FO said the minor incident was resolved by the district administration.

PM Imran maintained that “condemnable” incident was against his vision for Pakistan and “will find zero-tolerance and protection from the government including the police and judiciary”.

He went on to add that the incident could not be equated with what was happening against the minorities in India, especially Muslims.
“In contrast, Modi’s RSS vision supports minorities’ oppression & the targeted attacks against Muslims are part of this agenda,” he wrote.

“RSS goons conducting public lynchings, Muslims being violated by mobs are all not only supported by Modi government but Indian police lead anti-Muslim attacks.”




The Indian government has been facing weeks of growing countrywide protests against a controversial citizenship law passed by Modi’s government in December. The law, which marginalises Muslims, has divided India along communal lines.

Pakistan denounces attempts to portray Nankana Sahib altercation as ‘communal issue’

Combined with a proposed national register of citizens, the law will discriminate against Muslims in India and chip away at India’s secular constitution.

In August 2019, the BJP government abolished Article 270 of the Indian constitution that allowed semi-autonomy to the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and enforced an information and communication lockdown.

Around 900,000 Indian forces have converted the region into the largest prison in the world.

Anti-Muslim attacks in India have increased since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came to power.

In March 2019, the United States State Department said in a report that “mob attacks by violent extremist Hindu groups against minority communities, especially Muslims, continued throughout the year amid rumours that victims had traded or killed cows for beef.

It also noted reports by non-governmental organisations that the government sometimes failed to act on mob attacks on religious minorities, marginalised communities, and critics of the government.

After winning the second term in office, the Modi government has been criticised by the international community and human rights organisations for its anti-Muslim policies.
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