Minorities face hardships in India: Qureshi

FM says nobody has right to put restrictions on culture, traditions and values of Indian Muslims

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the Hindutva ideology had dominated India therefore, minorities including Christians, Muslims and Sikhs, were facing hardship, according to a Radio Pakistan report on Friday.

Talking to media in Dubai, the foreign minister said that nobody had the right to put restrictions on the culture, traditions and values of Muslims in India. He added that Indians themselves were raising voice against the RSS ideology.

The minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan had raised voice against Islamophobia at international forums. During the visit, Qureshi visited various pavilions at the Dubai Expo and inaugurated the one-window counter and a call center at the Pakistani Consulate in Dubai.

Meanwhile, talking to Dubai-based newspaper after visiting the Pakistan Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, Qureshi said the UAE was a time-tested friend and Pakistan was committed to support its sovereignty and safety.

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“We are strategic partners and will remain strategic partners on all fronts. Either it is economy or diplomacy or politics or defence, we stand with the UAE and will protect its interests on all fronts,” Qureshi said.

He condemned Houthi attacks on the UAE, calling the act a violation of the principle of state sovereignty, while demanding an end to such strikes. “Such acts of terrorism … pose a serious threat to the overall peace and stability in the region and must be stopped immediately,” he said.

The foreign minister paid rich tribute to the UAE leadership for hosting a successful Expo despite the challenges in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic. “I’m impressed to see the first Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. All credit goes to the UAE leadership for hosting such a huge show with a success,” Qureshi said.

Qureshi invited foreign ministers of Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for Islamabad Summit on March 22 and 23 to discuss important issues such as Palestine, Kashmir, Islamophobia and climate change, among others.

The Pakistan foreign minister also highlighted Afghan humanitarian crisis at his media briefing and said the international community must act to address severe shortage of food and medicine in the war-hit nation.

He also highlighted Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan visit to Russia next week and said it would be a historic to propel bilateral economic and defence relations as well as pave the way for trade with central Asian states.