‘Pakistan exposed BJP’s anti-Muslim policies’

ISLAMABAD: With Kuwait becoming the first GCC state to have officially condemned violence against the Muslim minority in India, Pakistan says the international community is taking cognizance of the hate mongering policies against minorities in India. Pakistan has consistently sensitized and drawn the attention of the world towards such policies.

“The foreign minister apprised the OIC Secretary General about the BJP government’s systematic campaign to demonize Muslims by holding them responsible for the spread of Coronavirus. He has underscored that Indian actions are in contravention of International Conventions and seriously undermine global efforts for religious harmony during these challenging times”, said the FO spokesperson Ayesha Farooqui. Pakistan says it welcomes the recommendation of the United States Commission on USCIRF to put India on the Countriesof Particular Concern (CPC) list over the drastic downturn in religious freedoms under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The report acknowledges that the present Indian government used its strengthened parliamentary majority to institute national-level policies violating religious freedom across India, especially for Muslims, most notably, enactment of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act”, she added.

The report also refers to India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019, in which the Indian government-imposed security measures, including restricting freedom of movement and assembly, cutting Internet and phone access, and arresting Kashmiri leaders, including religious leaders.

“The recommendations of the reports are consistent with the facts on ground and Pakistan’s stance that the Modi regime is deliberately discriminating against minorities in pursuit of its extremist right-wing Hindutva agenda”, said the spokesperson.

Pakistan has condemned New Delhi’s response to the report calling USCIRF an ‘organization of particular concern’, which is testament not only to India’s failure to take responsibility for its own actions but also to India’s delusional self-perception.

The spokesperson pointed out that voices from within India and around the world continue to condemn the increasing wave of BJP-inspired hate crimes against minorities.

“The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCRIF) in its annual report has once again placed India into its list of ‘Country of Particular Concern’ for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing and egregious religious freedom violations”, she said.

The report has highlighted that the Indian government “allowed violence against minorities and their houses of worship to continue with impunity, and also engaged in and tolerated hate speech and incitement to violence. The report also stated inter alia that “mob lynching of persons suspected of cow slaughter or consuming beef continued with most attacks occurring within the BJP-ruled states”.

Meanwhile, while the government takes extraordinary measures to fly back its citizens, the spokesperson said more than 50,000 Pakistani citizens were expected to return in the near future from the Middle East.

Around 13,000 Pakistanis have lost their jobs in the UAE due to the pandemic. No conditions have been imposed on Pakistanis who have lost jobs by any country in the Middle East.

She pointed out that the NCOS and NDMA would give details about the capacity to quarantine this huge number of arriving citizens.