ISLAMABAD – Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan strongly react over thehighly controversial Indian bill against Muslims.
Pakistan condemned the discriminatory legislation, saying it was “driven bya toxic mix of an extremist Hindutva ideology”.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said the legislation “violates allnorms of international human rights law and bilateral agreements withPakistan”.
Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) inIndia’s lower house amid raucous debate. Opposition parties stood againstthe proposed law that would, for the first time, create a legal pathway togrant Indian nationality on the basis of religion.
The bill was originally introduced in 2016 during the Modi government’sfirst term but lapsed after protests and an alliance partner’s withdrawal.It proposes to grant citizenship to non-Muslims who came to India fromBangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan before 2015.
Oppositions politicians inside parliament, and protesters in several Indiancities, said the bill discriminated against Muslims and violated India’ssecular constitution.
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During a lengthy debate marked by angry exchanges, opposition Congresslawmaker Shashi Tharoor, according to *AFP*, said the bill “infringes uponthe principle of equality before law” guaranteed to all persons, includingnon-citizens.
Shah and Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which had included the CABas part of its manifesto in the last general election, insist that it isnecessary.
“In these three countries, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis andChristians, followers of these six religions have been tormented,” Shahalleged, before the bill was tabled after a vote.
