ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday strongly condemned the decision taken by India’s Parliament to pass the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), which grants citizenship to all religious minorities from neighboring countries, except Muslims.
“It violates all norms of int [international] human rights law & bilateral agreements with Pak. It is part of the RSS Hindu Rashtra design of expansionism propagated by the fascist Modi Govt,” he tweeted.
On Monday, Indian Lok Sabha — the lower House of Parliament — took up the hearing for the CAB, with Pakistan’s Foreign Office criticizing the move later in the day.
“It is a complete violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international Covenants on elimination of all forms of discrimination based on religion or belief,” a statement released by the FO said, adding that the legislation is also “in complete contravention of various bilateral agreements between Pakistan and India, particularly the one concerning the security and rights of minorities.”
The FO termed the legislation as another major step toward the realization of the concept of “Hindu Rashtra idealized and relentlessly pursued by the right-wing Hindu leaders for several decades.”
“We condemn the legislation as regressive and discriminatory, which is in violation of all relevant international conventions and norms, and a glaring attempt by India to interfere in the neighboring countries with malafide intent,” the statement read.
The CAB seeks to amend the country’s Citizenship Act 1955, aimed at granting citizenship to persecuted minorities such as Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Christians and Parsis from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan, but excludes Muslims.
Pakistan slams India’s controversial citizenship bill
https://arab.news/neuh9
Pakistan slams India’s controversial citizenship bill
- PM Khan says the legislation violates all norms of international human rights law
- Passed by the Indian lower house on Monday, the bill seeks to grant nationality to all minorities, except Muslims
Pakistan, Türkiye military chiefs discuss defense cooperation amid Middle East tensions
- Field Marshal Asim Munir reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to deepening military-to-military ties with Türkiye
- Turkish officials said this month they were in talks to join the Pakistan-Saudi defense alliance formed last year
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top military commander, Field Marshal Asim Munir, met the Chief of the Turkish General Staff, General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, on Friday to discuss deepening defense cooperation, as regional security concerns intensify amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
The meeting comes against the backdrop of widening geopolitical uncertainty following the Gaza war, which has heightened the risk of broader regional escalation involving Iran and the United States, and as Ankara explores closer defense coordination with partners beyond NATO.
Earlier this month, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Türkiye was in talks to join a defense alliance established between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia last September, signaling a possible expansion of security cooperation among key regional players.
The Turkish general called on Pakistan’s chief of defense forces at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, according to the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
“During the meeting, besides dilating upon matters of mutual interest, prevailing regional and global security landscape, and prospects for strengthening bilateral defense and military cooperation were also discussed,” the ISPR said in a statement.
It added that both sides “expressed satisfaction on current trajectory of Pakistan-Türkiye relations while underscoring the requirement of maintaining close coordination and enhancing defense collaboration.”
Munir welcomed the support of the Turkish Armed Forces and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening military-to-military ties, according to the statement.
It said that Bayraktaroglu praised the professionalism of Pakistan’s armed forces and expressed Türkiye’s intent to deepen defense cooperation through training, joint exercises and capacity-building initiatives.
Pakistan and Türkiye maintain close diplomatic, economic and defense relations, with military cooperation forming a major pillar of their partnership.
Last month, a high-level delegation of Turkish aerospace and defense manufacturers visited Pakistan to explore joint ventures, co-production and technology-sharing opportunities. In August 2025, the navies of both countries conducted their first bilateral amphibious exercise to strengthen maritime coordination.
Turkish defense firms have played a key role in modernizing Pakistan’s Agosta 90B-class submarines and have supplied Islamabad with advanced military hardware, including drones.
The two countries also regularly conduct joint military drills. Their most recent exercise, Ataturk-XIII in February 2025, brought together special forces units for combat training aimed at improving their ability to operate effectively together in the field.
