ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office voiced concern on Monday about violence against Christians and Muslims in India, calling for global action to protect vulnerable groups.
Christian and human rights organizations have reported increased attacks by Hindu far-right groups targeting Christmas celebrations in India. One viral video showed BJP leader Anju Bharvaga assaulting a visually impaired Christian woman at a Christmas event in Jabalpur. Open Doors International documented over 60 incidents involving Christians during the holiday period.
Pakistan highlighted broader issues facing India’s minorities, including state-endorsed actions against Muslims such as home demolitions, lynchings like Muhammad Akhlaq’s case in 2015, and judicial leniency toward perpetrators. Recent efforts by the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government to drop charges against Akhlaq’s killers sparked further outrage among activists.
The foreign office urged the international community to address these abuses and safeguard minority rights. Reports from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the US State Department criticized India’s handling of these cases, citing rising hate speech, discriminatory laws, anti-conversion measures, and policies undermining Muslim-majority Kashmir’s autonomy.
India’s Prime Minister Modi defends his administration as inclusive, stating programs for food security and electrification aim to benefit all citizens.
