ISLAMABAD – Pakistan on Friday rejected comments by the Indian Ministry ofExternal Affairs (MEA)’s spokesperson about a tweet of the Prime MinisterImran Khan regarding discriminatory citizenship bill passed by the IndianParliament this week.
Many international human rights organizations and neutral observers evenfrom within India have characterized the legislation as discriminatoryagainst Muslims and unconstitutional, the Foreign Office spokesperson saidand reiterated that this Indian legislation is premised on a falsehood,both with regard to the alleged decline in non-Muslim population inPakistan as well as their alleged persecution in the country.
The spokesperson said objectively speaking, India should be the lastcountry to pretend being a “protector” of the minorities, adding theworld’s media have widely reported on and condemned the deplorableconditions of the minorities in India, especially since the assumption ofoffice of right-wing BJP in 2014.
He said the architects of the massacre of thousands of Muslims in Gujaratdid not have the moral high-ground to preach about the rights of minoritiesto India’s neighbouring countries, adding today’s India was synonymous withlynchings of members of minority communities including low caste Dalits bymobs, often with state complicity.
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He said the persecution of nearly eight million unarmed and innocentKashmiri Muslims, incarcerated by 900,000 Indian security forces for overfour months, was a living testimony to India being a country with norespect for human rights and minority rights.
“We urge the international community to take notice of the violation ofminorities’ rights in India, including the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmirunder the illegal occupation of India.” the spokesperson said.
