Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood has called upon the P-5 countries to take cognizance of the recent abhorrent development, the growing hate speech, and the rising tide of Islamophobia in India.

The foreign secretary also recalled the special responsibility of the P-5 countries regarding the maintenance of international peace and security and upholding of the principles enshrined in the UN Charter.

The foreign secretary individually met the Envoys of the Permanent Members of the UN Security Council (P-5) to apprise them of the derogatory and offensive remarks made by two senior officials of India’s ruling party BJP, against the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (Peace be upon him), Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press release on Tuesday.

The foreign secretary underscored that the BJP’s perfunctory and token disciplinary action against these its spokespersons would not assuage the hurt they had caused to Muslims worldwide.

Noting the clear and consistent pattern of state-sanctioned persecution of Muslims in India, he said that the failure of the BJP leadership and the Indian government to unequivocally condemn the recent sacrilegious comments was yet another proof of the impunity enjoyed by ‘Hindutva’ zealots.

He stressed that India must be urged to take decisive and demonstrable actions against those responsible.

India should also be held accountable for stifling the rights of its religious minorities, especially its Muslim population, and urged to ensure full protection of their fundamental rights and freedoms; he added.