New York: Pakistan has strongly condemned India’s treatment of its religious minorities, highlighting the escalating persecution faced by Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs across the country.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the remarks were made by Gul Qaiser Sarwani, Counsellor and Political Coordinator of the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN, in response to statements made by India’s representative.
During his address, Sarwani emphasized the widespread violence and discrimination faced by minority communities in India, with specific references to Muslims being lynched in public, Christians attacked in their places of worship, and Sikhs facing demonization for their faith. He pointed to past violent episodes such as the 2002 Gujarat riots, the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, and ongoing religious violence in Delhi and Manipur. These events, he said, were not isolated incidents but rather symptomatic of a wider, systemic campaign driven by India’s Hindutva ideology.
“India has turned into the world’s largest factory of hate,” Sarwani remarked, stressing the need for the international community to address the growing persecution of religious minorities in the country. He urged the UNSC to take stronger action to hold India accountable for its violations of human rights, calling out the ongoing state-sponsored violence against Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs.
In addition to condemning India’s internal violence, Sarwani reiterated Pakistan’s stance on the Kashmir dispute, asserting that Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognized disputed territory. He emphasized that India must fulfill its obligations under international law, particularly those outlined in the UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir, and end its state terrorism in the territory.
Pakistan also took the opportunity to highlight the contrast between the governance of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, where democratic values and human rights are upheld, and India’s occupation of Kashmir, where the rights of the Kashmiri people are systematically violated.
“Today, on the 80th UN Day, India must return to compliance with the UN Charter and implement the resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir,” Sarwani concluded.