ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed deep concerns at the alarming rise in violence against Muslims in today’s India.
In her weekly media briefing in Islamabad on Wednesday, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mumtaz Zahra Baloch that during the recent Hindu festival of Ram Navami, anti-Muslim violence was reported in at least eight States of India as extremist outfits organized public rallies to celebrate the festival.
The Spokesperson said that a number of mosques and other Muslim-owned buildings were attacked while a seminary was burned down in Nalanda district of Bihar, resulting, inter alia, in burning of around 4,500 books including Holy the Quran.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that the terrifying rise in Islamophobic and hateful acts against Muslims in India is a consequence of the pursuit of a majoritarian Hindutva agenda and anti-Islam and anti-Muslim rhetoric rife in Indian politics.
Welcoming the statement of Organization Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressing its concern on rising anti-Muslim incidents in India, she urged India to take firm action against the extremists for fomenting communal violence and hatred against Muslims.
“India must take demonstrable steps to curb the rising tide of Islamophobia, to provide protection to Muslims for practicing their faith and account those responsible for such hateful acts,” she said.
The Spokesperson also reiterated Pakistan’s concerns about the safety and wellbeing of Kashmiri leaders and human rights defenders who are under incarceration in prisons across Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and India.
“We welcome the statement of UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Mary Lawlor and endorsed by Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association Clément Nyaletsossi Voule,” she said.
The Special Rapporteur has highlighted the continuing repression of Kashmiri civil society in IIOJK. She has explained how the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is being applied to smear and silence the civil society, media, and human rights defenders. She has urged India to end its crackdown against Kashmiri human rights defenders.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that we endorse her statement that India must be held accountable where it violates human rights obligations.
“We also urge India to bring an end to suppression of journalists and human rights defenders and to its policy of stifling freedom of expression and assembly in the occupied territory,” she added.
