Pakistan expressed deep concern over the Indian Supreme Court's judgment in the historic Babri Masjid case, declaring that the decision shredded the veneer of so-called secularism of India by making clear that minorities in India are no longer safe and they have to fear for their beliefs and for their places of worship.

"We have noted with deep concern the decision of the Indian Supreme Court regarding the historic Babri Masjid. The decision has, once again, failed to uphold the demands of justice," said Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal while giving Pakistan's reaction to the Indian apex court verdict.

The Indian apex court decided to give the disputed land of Babri Mosque in Ayodhya to a government-run trust for building a temple. The verdict was delivered by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi-led five-judge constitution bench.

"As the United Nations recently noted that Indian Supreme Court's response to human rights petitions in the context of Indian-occupied Jammu & Kashmir was slow, this decision points out when it acts, it is unable to protect the interests of India's minorities," Faisal pointed out, adding that this decision has shredded the veneer of so-called secularism of India by making clear that minorities in India are no longer safe; they have to fear for their beliefs and for their places of worship.

He asserted that a process of re-writing history is underway in India in order to recast it in the image of a 'Hindu Rashtra' in pursuance of the Hindutva ideology. "It is also fast affecting India's major institutions," he added.

He said the rising tide of extremist ideology in India, based on the belief of Hindu supremacy and exclusion, is a threat to regional peace and stability. He said the Indian government should ensure the protection of Muslims, their lives, rights and properties and avoid being yet again a silent spectator of Muslims becoming the victims of Hindu extremists and zealots. The spokesperson also urged the international community, the United Nations and other human rights organizations in particular to play their role by restraining India from its pursuit of an extremist ideology and to ensure equal rights and protection of the minorities in India.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019