In a statement, the Foreign Office said the move amounted to a blatant intrusion into religious affairs and reflected a coercive attempt to intimidate and marginalise the Muslim population of the occupied territory.
The statement said the forcible collection of personal details, photographs and sectarian affiliations of religious functionaries constituted systematic harassment, aimed at instilling fear among worshippers and obstructing the free exercise of their faith.
“These actions form part of a broader pattern of institutionalised Islamophobia driven by the Hindutva ideology of the occupying Indian government. The selective targeting of mosques and Muslim clergy lays bare the discriminatory and communal character of these policies,” it added.
The Foreign Office said the people of Jammu and Kashmir possess an inalienable right to practise their religion without fear, coercion or discrimination.
Pakistan reaffirmed that it would continue to stand in solidarity with the Kashmiri people and would persist in raising its voice against all forms of religious persecution and intolerance targeting Kashmiris.
