Pakistan condemns demolition of century-old mosque in India's Saharanpur

Foreign Office says demolition of 150-year-old mosque reflects broader campaign to erase Islamic heritage

Pakistan on Sunday strongly condemned the demolition of a century-old mosque in Saharanpur, India, describing it as a “reprehensible action” against a historic Islamic place of worship and calling on the international community to take immediate cognisance of the systematic persecution of Muslims by Indian authorities.

“This reprehensible action against a historic Islamic place of worship is yet another manifestation of the broader Islamophobic and Hindutva-driven campaign to erase the Islamic heritage,” said a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). 

The condemnation came after the Saharanpur administration on Saturday demolished the mosque, located inside the Saharanpur Collectorate campus in Uttar Pradesh, amid heavy police deployment, days after a district court upheld the administration’s decision declaring the structure an “unauthorised” occupation of government land.

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Statement by the Spokesperson

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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) September 6, 2026

The statement by MoFa added that the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992 remained “an enduring symbol” of what Pakistan described as an ideology of religious intolerance, prejudice and hatred.

“Pakistan calls upon the international community to take immediate cognisance of the systematic persecution of Muslims by Indian authorities and the continued desecration and destruction of their places of worship under state patronage,” the statement said.

Watch: Historical mosque demolished in India to 'widen road'

“The Indian authorities must be held accountable for such actions against the fundamental religious freedoms and cultural heritage of all minorities, particularly the Muslims,” it concluded.

The mosque, which was approximately 150 years old, was situated on a 315-square-metre parcel of land within the Saharanpur Collectorate complex.

The Saharanpur administration demolished the mosque amid heavy police deployment, shortly after a district court upheld its decision declaring the structure an “unauthorised” occupation of government land.

The proceedings were initiated following a complaint by Vikas Tyagi, a former provincial coordinator of the Bajrang Dal, a Hindu right-wing organisation.

In July, the city magistrate declared the structure an “unauthorised” occupation and ordered its occupants to vacate the premises within 30 days. The administration also imposed a penalty of around ₹6.41 crore on the alleged “illegal occupants” for unauthorised occupation of government land.

The administration had declared the mosque illegal in July and ordered its demolition following proceedings under the Uttar Pradesh Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1972.

Read: Pakistan draws UN attention to mosque demolition in India

Pakistan has repeatedly voiced concern over rising Islamophobia in India, a trend that it says gained considerable momentum after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power over the past decade, with several mosques subsequently demolished across the country.

The demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992 remains a significant reference point in Pakistan’s criticism of what it describes as religious intolerance and discrimination against Muslims in India.

The trend gained further momentum after Narendra Modi became prime minister and the BJP came to power, with mob violence and the systematic targeting and profiling of mosques and other religious sites becoming increasingly common.

An anti-Muslim narrative has also been spreading in India, with critics attributing this to policies and actions of the BJP government.

In 2023, a historic mosque in Uttar Pradesh was reportedly demolished to widen a road. The following year, bulldozers demolished a centuries-old mosque in New Delhi during a drive to remove structures authorities described as “illegal” from a forest reserve.