Pakistan urges India to ensure protection of minorities

ISLAMABAD: At the 31st anniversary of the demolition of the historic Babri Mosque by Hindu extremists on Wednesday, Pakistan urged the Indian government to ensure safety, security, and protection of minorities, particularly Muslims and their places of worship.

“Today is a sad reminder of the demolition of the historic ‘Babri Masjid’ in India. On this day, 31 years ago, a mob of Hindu zealots demolished this centuries-old Mosque in Ayodhya in full view of Indian law enforcement authorities,” said Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Baloch in a statement.

She said that it is lamentable that India’s superior judiciary not only acquitted the criminals responsible for this hateful act but also allowed the construction of a temple on the site of the demolished mosque. The temple is expected to be inaugurated in January 2024 – months before the next general elections in India.

“The anti-Muslim frenzy that caused the Babri Mosque’s destruction remains unabated. A few weeks ago, the chief minister of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh publicly cited the mosque’s demolition as a template to reclaim parts of Pakistan,” she said.

She added that elements belonging to the ruling dispensation in India continue to incite hysteria and hatred against Muslims. “Today, Hindu supremacist groups are demanding conversion of many other mosques into temples, including the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and Shahi Eidgah Mosque in Mathura,” she said.

She added that several mosques and shrines have already been demolished under the garb of different administrative measures or judicial processes. Muslim holy sites also remain a target of attacks by the mobs of extremists, she further deplored.

She said that the international community must take cognisance of the growing Islamophobia, hate speech, and hate crimes in India. “Pakistan urges the Indian government to ensure safety, security and protection of minorities, particularly Muslims and their places of worship,” she added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023