- India had alleged “systemic victimization of minorities” in Pakistan.
- FO says India’s comments cannot “mask its history” of discrimination.
- He cites mob lynchings, attacks on mosques and violence against minorities.
The Ministry of External Affairs (FO) on Saturday dismissed India’s so-called “concerns” about Pakistan’s Shia community, calling the comments “cynical and distracting” and an “exercise in deflection disguised as concern”.
This response follows comments by India’s MEA, which cited statements it attributed to Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Syed Asim Munir.
CDF Munir had met Shia clerics in Rawalpindi earlier this month and according to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the meeting focused on national security and the role of ulama in maintaining social harmony.
The ISPR statement added that CDF Munir emphasized that religious sentiments should not be exploited to incite violence in the country.
Indian MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal quoted by the Indian news agency. ANI On Friday, he said the comments reflected the “systemic victimization of minorities” in Pakistan.
Responding a day later, FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said: “Pakistan rejects India’s comments as cynical and distracting, an exercise in deflection disguised as concern.”
The Foreign Ministry official said India’s comments could not “mask its own record of consistently normalizing discrimination and violence against Muslims, Christians and other marginalized communities, from restrictions on worship to mass vigilantism and attacks on homes and livelihoods.”
“These patterns are well documented,” said the Foreign Ministry’s Andrabi, adding: “The rising wave of mob lynchings against Muslims is deeply abhorrent and underlines a climate of unbridled brutality.”
In 2025, more than 55 Muslims were reportedly lynched in India, and since January 2026, more than 19 Muslims have been killed by violent mobs, according to the spokesperson.
“Extremist groups have illegally sought the destruction of 11 mosques. Perpetrators of crimes against Muslims often act with impunity, thanks to state sponsorship, and are rarely held accountable,” he said.
“Pakistan urges India to address these serious and well-documented concerns within its own borders, ensure the protection of Muslims, Christians and other communities in accordance with its constitutional and international obligations, and refrain from making unfounded and politically motivated statements about others,” the statement concluded.
