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Pakistan Rejects India's Allegations on Minority Rights, Calls India a "Serial Violator"
Pakistan slams Indian FM Jaishankar’s remarks on minority rights, calling India a "serial violator" with a record of systemic abuses. FO urges India to address its own failures instead of targeting others.
ND
by News Desk
2025-03-29
Pakistan Rejects India's Allegations on Minority Rights, Calls India a

Pakistan has strongly rejected claims made by Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar regarding the treatment of minorities, labeling India as a “serial violator” of minority rights with a history of systemic discrimination and persecution.

Jaishankar, during a parliamentary session, accused Pakistan of committing "crimes and atrocities against minorities," as reported by Indian media outlets including Hindustan Times. He claimed that there were 10 incidents of violence against the Hindu community in Pakistan in February, alongside similar cases involving Sikhs, Christians, and Ahmadis. He further alleged that Pakistan's state policies promote human rights violations and religious persecution.

In response, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) issued a strongly-worded statement, asserting that India has no moral ground to comment on minority rights. “India is in no position to champion minority rights, as it remains a serial violator of those very rights,” the FO said.

The statement emphasized that Pakistan’s state institutions actively protect minority communities, unlike India, where attacks against religious minorities occur with the tacit approval—or even complicity—of elements within the ruling establishment.

The FO highlighted several instances of anti-minority actions in India, including the 2002 Gujarat riots, the 2020 Delhi violence, the demolition of the Babri Mosque in 1992, and the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act. It further accused India of promoting hatred, discrimination, and violence against minorities, particularly Muslims.

“Rather than feigning concern for minorities elsewhere, the Indian government would do well to address its own failures,” the FO statement concluded, urging India to ensure the safety and rights of its minority communities.

The ongoing debate over religious freedoms in South Asia has also drawn international attention. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recently reported a decline in religious freedom in both India and Pakistan. The commission recommended Pakistan's redesignation as a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom violations. However, it also noted that India’s religious freedom conditions "continued to deteriorate" in 2024, with increased attacks and discrimination against minorities.

Additionally, a recent report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) highlighted growing mob-led attacks against religious minorities in Pakistan, including cases of forced conversions and desecration of Ahmadi graves.

As diplomatic tensions persist between the two neighbors, the issue of minority rights remains a focal point in their long-standing rivalry.
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Pakistan

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