Daily Times

Pakistan has strongly condemned the Modi-led BJP government’s move to mark August 14 — Pakistan’s Independence Day — as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’.

The Foreign Office said in a statement on Wednesday that the “revisionist” BJP-RSS regime “sought to hypocritically and one-sidedly invoke the tragic events and mass migration that occurred in the wake of Independence in 1947”.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the BJP’s “deplorable” aim, as part of its divisive political agenda, was “wantonly attempting to play with the sentiments of the people through distorted interpretation of history”.

“It is deplorable that the BJP government, as part of its divisive political agenda, is wantonly attempting to play with the sentiments of the people through distorted interpretation of history,” the Foreign Office said.

The FO said the last seven decades had been replete with undeniable proof that India’s espousal of secularism was a sham. “The fact is that today’s India is an undeclared ‘Hindu Rashtra’ that has no place or tolerance for other religious minorities, especially Muslims who are faced with discrimination, persecution and political and socio-economic exclusion,” it said.

“The government of India is advised to desist from politicizing the events related to Independence and instead sincerely honour the memories of all those who sacrificed for a better future for all,” said the statement.

Terming the move as “mischievous”, the Foreign Office said that if Indian leaders genuinely care about the agony, suffering and pain, they must work to improve the conditions of the Muslims and other minorities in India.

According to Indian media, the decision to observe August 14 as a remembrance day was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remember the “struggles and sacrifices of our people”.

The Foreign Office advised the Indian government to desist from politicizing the events related to Independence and instead sincerely honor the memories of all those who sacrificed for a better future for all.