FO rejects Jaishankar's claims on minorities

Says state institutions alert to their responsibilities

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan on Saturday rejected India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar's claims of minority mistreatment, instead saying that India was a "serial violator" of minority rights with a record "marred by egregious and systemic violations".

According to the Indian media, Jaishankar called out Pakistan for "crimes and atrocities against minorities" during a parliament session. He was quoted as saying, "We follow very closely and track the treatment of minorities in Pakistan."

He said that there were 10 cases of "atrocities" against the Hindu community in February. He also claimed similar incidents against the Sikhs, Christians and Ahmadis. "…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," he added.

The Indian minister also said New Delhi is making its position "well known" but cannot change the "fanatical and bigoted mindset" of a neighbouring country [Pakistan], according to an Indian outlet The Times of India.

Reacting to Jaishankar's misguided claims, Foreign Office spokesperson in a statement 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, he said. "India is in no position to champion minority rights, as it remains a serial violator of those very rights."

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.

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.