Pakistan on Saturday rejected Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s claims of minority mistreatment, instead saying that India was a “serial violator” of minority rights with a record “marred by egregious and systemic violations”.
Jaishankar called out Pakistan for “crimes and atrocities against minorities” during a parliament session, Indian media Hindustan Times reported. He was quoted as saying, “We follow very closely and track the treatment of minorities in Pakistan.”
He said that there were 10 cases of “atrocities” against the Hindu community in Feb. He also claimed similar incidents against the Sikhs, Christians and Ahmadis.
“… Pakistan is a country where human rights abuses, the persecution of minorities, and the systematic erosion of democratic values are state policies, and it harbours UN-sanctioned terrorists,” he added.
The Indian minister also said New Delhi is making its position “well known” but cannot change the “fanatical and bigoted mindset” of a neighbouring country [Pakistan], according to an Indian outlet The Times of India.
A Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson said in a statement, “India is in no position to champion minority rights, as it remains a serial violator of those very rights.”
The statement said that state institutions in Pakistan work actively to protect minorities.
“In stark contrast, incidents targeting minorities in India frequently occur with the tacit approval – or even complicity – of elements within the ruling dispensation,” the statement added.
It further stated, “The systematic promotion of hatred, discrimination, and violence against minorities in India is well-documented.”
The statement said, “India’s record is marred by egregious and systemic violations of minority rights, particularly those of Muslims,” citing the “discriminatory” Citizenship Amendment Act, 2002 Gujarat massacre, 2020 Delhi pogrom, demolition of the Babri Mosque in 1992, as well as attacks on mosques and shrines.
“Rather than feigning concern for minorities elsewhere, the Indian government would do well to address its own failures,” the FO said, urging India to ensure the protection of minorities – including Muslims.
On Wednesday, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said the treatment of minorities in Pakistan and India was deteriorating.
The panel recommended that Pakistan should be redesignated as a “Country of Particular Concern” for engaging in “systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom”. Meanwhile, it said regarding India: “In 2024, religious freedom conditions in India continued to deteriorate as attacks and discrimination against religious minorities continued to rise.”
Earlier this month, a report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) highlighted a growing trend of mob-led attacks against religious minorities in Pakistan. The HRCP spoke of Ahmadis’ “arbitrary detention”, “desecration of their graves”, and the “vulnerability of Hindu and Christian women” to forced conversion.