Pakistan condemns violence targeting Christians, Muslims in India

Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson voiced serious concern over incidents of vandalism and violence directed at Christian and Muslim communities in India, calling on the international community to step in to protect vulnerable groups in the country.

Christian and human rights organisations have recently sounded the alarm over efforts by Hindu far-right groups to disrupt Christmas celebrations across India, Caliber.Az reports, citing Arab News Pakistan.

These efforts reportedly included multiple attacks targeting members of the Christian minority.

One video that circulated widely on social media shows Anju Bharvaga, a local leader from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP party, physically assaulting a visually impaired Christian woman during a Christmas event in the central Indian city of Jabalpur. Christian watchdog Open Doors International said it documented more than 60 alleged attacks against Christians nationwide during the Christmas period.

“The persecution of minorities in India is a matter of deep concern,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a statement.

“Recent condemnable incidents of vandalism during Christmas, along with state-sponsored campaigns against Muslims — including the demolition of their homes and repeated lynchings, most notably the case of Muhammad Akhlaq, where the state sought to shield the perpetrators from accountability — have intensified fear and alienation among Muslims,” the statement added.

Akhlaq, who was 50 at the time, was beaten to death by a Hindu mob in 2015 in India’s Uttar Pradesh state after rumours alleged he had stored and eaten beef, an accusation his family has consistently denied.

The BJP-led government of Uttar Pradesh recently asked a local court to drop charges against the men accused in Akhlaq’s lynching, a move that sparked outrage among human rights activists in India.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the list of victims of vigilante violence in India is “tragically long.”

“The international community should take note of these developments and take appropriate steps to help safeguard the fundamental rights of vulnerable communities in India,” it said.

An August report by the US State Department stated that the Indian government took “minimal credible steps” to identify and punish officials responsible for human rights violations.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also criticised Modi’s government over its treatment of minorities. They cite a rise in hate speech, a religion-based citizenship law described by the UN as “fundamentally discriminatory,” anti-conversion laws that undermine freedom of belief, the 2019 revocation of special status for Muslim-majority Kashmir, and the demolition of properties owned by Muslims.

Modi has denied allegations of discrimination, arguing that his policies — including food subsidy schemes and nationwide electrification programs — are designed to benefit all citizens equally.

By Jeyhun Aghazada