Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Dec 29: India on Monday firmly brushed aside comments from Pakistan on alleged violence against minorities, asserting that Islamabad lacks the credibility to speak on the issue given its long-standing and well-documented record of persecuting religious minorities.
In a strong statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it outrightly rejected the remarks made by Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson, underlining that Pakistan’s systemic abuse of minorities is a matter of global record. The MEA said attempts by Islamabad to criticise others cannot hide its own failures in protecting fundamental rights.
“We reject the reported remarks from a country whose appalling record in this regard is evident to the world. Pakistan’s entrenched and widespread victimisation of minorities across faiths is a well-established reality,” the ministry said, adding that “no amount of finger-pointing can conceal these facts.”
India has repeatedly taken issue with Pakistan’s comments on its internal matters. Just last month, New Delhi sharply responded to Islamabad’s statements regarding the hoisting of the national flag at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, asserting that Pakistan has no moral authority to comment on religious freedom or minority rights elsewhere.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during a weekly media briefing, reiterated that Pakistan would do better to examine its own human rights situation rather than issue “hypocritical” statements. He said Pakistan’s history of discrimination, repression, and institutionalised mistreatment of minorities severely undermines its credibility on such issues.
“We have seen the remarks and reject them with the contempt they deserve. A country burdened with a deeply tarnished record of bigotry and repression has no standing to lecture others,” Jaiswal said, urging Pakistan to focus inward on its own human rights challenges.
Concerns over minority persecution in Pakistan have also been highlighted by independent research. A recent report by the International Centre for Peace Studies pointed to the persistent targeting of minorities, particularly Hindus and Christians, and the use of religious identity and anti-India sentiment for political mobilisation. The report cited data from the Centre for Social Justice in Lahore, noting that 344 blasphemy cases were recorded in 2024 alone, while at least 421 minority women and girls were forcibly converted between 2021 and 2024, the majority of them minors.
India has consistently maintained that issues related to its internal affairs are not open to external commentary, particularly from countries with troubling records on human rights and minority protection.