ISLAMABAD (APP) – Pakistan on Wednesday urged the Indian government to ensure safety, security and protection of minorities, particularly Muslims and their places of worship.
The Foreign Office, in a statement issued on the 31st anniversary of the demolition of the historic Babri Mosque, expressed that the day served as a sad reminder of time when a mob of Hindu zealots demolished the centuries-old mosque in Ayodhya, in full view of Indian law-enforcement authorities.
“It is lamentable that India’s superior judiciary not only acquitted the criminals responsible for this hateful act, but also allowed the construction of a temple on the site of the demolished mosque,” detailed the FO statement.
The Foreign Office mentioned that the temple was expected to be inaugurated in January 2024, months before the next general elections in India.
The statement said the anti-Muslim frenzy that led to the destruction of the Babri Mosque remained unabated. Recently, the chief minister of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh publicly cited the mosque’s demolition as a template to reclaim parts of Pakistan.
The FO statement highlighted that elements belonging to the ruling dispensation in India continued to incite hysteria and hatred against Muslims. “Today, Hindu supremacist groups are demanding the conversion of many other mosques into temples, including the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and Shahi Eidgah Mosque in Mathura.”
The FO added that several mosques and shrines had already been demolished under the guise of different administrative measures or judicial processes. It emphasised that holy sites for Muslims remained targets of attacks by extremist mobs.
“The international community must take cognizance of the growing Islamophobia, hate speech and hate crimes in India,” concluded the FO statement.