ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday strongly criticised reports suggesting that mosques and their management bodies are being profiled in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, calling the move a serious violation of religious freedoms.
In a statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson said that interference in religious institutions amounted to an attack on the fundamental right to freedom of belief and worship. The spokesperson described the reported actions as deliberate efforts to pressure and intimidate the Muslim population in the occupied region.
According to the statement, the forced gathering of personal information, photographs, and sectarian details of mosque officials and religious leaders represents systematic harassment designed to create fear among worshippers and restrict their ability to practice Islam freely.
Pakistan further asserted that such measures were part of a wider pattern of institutional discrimination and Islamophobia, which it said stems from the Hindutva-driven policies of the Indian government. The focus on mosques and Muslim clerics, the statement added, exposed the communal and exclusionary nature of these actions.
“The residents of Jammu and Kashmir have an inherent and non-negotiable right to observe their religion without intimidation, pressure, or prejudice,” the spokesperson said, reaffirming Pakistan’s support for the Kashmiri people and its commitment to highlighting cases of religious repression at international forums.
The statement also linked the incident to what it described as ongoing discrimination against Muslims in the region. It referenced a recent decision by authorities to shut down a medical college in occupied Kashmir following protests by right-wing Hindu groups objecting to the enrollment of a largely Muslim student population.
On January 6, the National Medical Commission withdrew recognition of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical Institute, citing shortcomings in infrastructure and faculty. However, the move came after sustained demonstrations by Hindu groups who had demanded the expulsion of Muslim students, raising concerns about religious bias behind the decision.
