Pakistan condemns anti-Islam incidents in India

Pakistan on Thursday strongly condemned the repeated blasphemous and derogatory social media remarks against Holy Prophet (PBUH) from India, calling it a deliberate and premeditated attempt to instigate communal violence and target Muslims. 

“Pakistan strongly condemns these deliberate and premeditated attempts to instigate communal violence, which may be used for targeting Muslims… Pakistan calls upon Indian government to investigate these incidents and take immediate action against perpetrators of hate crime and ensure prevention of such incidents in future,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in his weekly press briefing in Islamabad.

He told newsmen that two incidents of blasphemous and derogatory social media posts had happened both in the Indian state of Karnataka and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). 

He said the protection and patronage of the perpetrators of such acts by Indian authorities was reprehensible. These rising incidents of hate crime and hate speech were a direct and inescapable consequence of RSS-BJP combined Hindutva ideology, he remarked. 

The spokesperson said that Pakistan had constantly been sensitizing the world community about the risks of unabated Indian attempts to target and demonize the minorities in India and IIOJK. 

Pakistan also called upon the Indian government to ensure safety, security and well-being of Muslim community and ensure the protection of their religious rights. 

While highlighting the human rights abuses in IIOJK, the spokesperson said the territory had been under inhumane siege since over a year and had been turned into the world’s largest prison. The Indian occupation force continued to violate every single right of Kashmiri people including liberty, education, expression, assembly and freedom of religion. 

The spokesperson told media that over 200 Kashmiri people had been killed by Indian security forces in fake encounters during this year what he said would only further strengthen their resolve to get liberation from Indian repression. 

Welcoming Human Rights Watch’s call for investigating into the human rights abuses in IIOJK, he said Pakistan continued to call for holding India accountable for serious violations in the territory.

Regarding Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s two-day visit to China starting Thursday, the spokesperson said he would lead Pakistan side in the China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue. The Chinese side would be led by State Councilor and Foreign Minster Wang Yi. He said the visit would play an important role in further strengthening Pakistan-China “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership” and deepen strategic communication and coordination with China on a range of issues.

While encompassing the diplomatic activities during the recent days, the spokesperson highlighted the visit of President-elect of 75th session of UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir, prime ministers’ telephonic conversation with newly elected Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaka and Maldivian President Ibrahim Solih, besides foreign minister’s telephonic talk with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Uzbek counterpart. 

The spokesperson also apprised media of “Foreign Ministers Honors List” published to honour Pakistanis across the globe who rendered outstanding services during the COVID-19 pandemic.