The dispute began after India raised concerns over the treatment of minorities in Pakistan, particularly the Shia community, prompting a strong response from Islamabad. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the remarks as “cynical and diversionary,” linking the issue to recent engagements between military leadership and religious scholars.
The controversy follows a meeting between Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Syed Asim Munir and Shia clerics in Rawalpindi, where discussions focused on national security and the importance of religious harmony. Munir reportedly emphasized the need to prevent the misuse of religious sentiments to incite unrest.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs, through spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, accused Pakistan of “systemic victimisation of minorities,” triggering a sharp rebuttal from Pakistan’s Foreign Office.
FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi countered the allegations by accusing New Delhi of deflecting attention from its own human rights record. He pointed to what he described as a rise in discrimination and violence against Muslims, Christians, and other minority groups in India.
Andrabi cited incidents of mob violence, restrictions on religious practices, and attacks on places of worship, alleging that dozens of Muslims were killed in mob-related incidents in recent years. He also claimed that several mosques had been targeted, raising concerns about the safety of minority communities.
Pakistan urged India to address its internal challenges and uphold its constitutional and international commitments to protect minority rights, while calling on New Delhi to refrain from what it termed politically motivated accusations.
The exchange marks another escalation in the ongoing war of words between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, underscoring persistent tensions over human rights and internal policies.
