ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Foreign Office on Saturday rejected Indian allegations of mistreatment of minorities in Pakistan, calling New Delhi a “serial violator of those very rights.”
The statement came in response to Indian Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s remarks in parliament about “crimes and atrocities against minorities” in Pakistan.
Jaishankar said they “follow very closely and track the treatment of minorities in Pakistan,” and there were 10 cases of “atrocities” against the Hindu community in Feb., English-language daily Hindustan Times reported.
In response, the Pakistani Foreign Office said New Delhi was in no position to champion minority rights as it remained a serial violator of those very rights in India.
“In Pakistan, state institutions actively work to safeguard minorities as a matter of policy,” it said. “In stark contrast, incidents targeting minorities in India frequently occur with the tacit approval — or even complicity — of elements within the ruling dispensation.”
The two countries traded barbs days after a US panel on religious freedom said the treatment of minorities in Pakistan and India was “deteriorating,” recommending sanctions be imposed on the former’s officials and government agencies and the latter’s external spy agency over its alleged involvement in plots to assassinate Sikh separatists.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a bipartisan US government advisory body that monitors religious freedom abroad and makes policy recommendations, said this in its annual report on Wednesday.
Archrivals Pakistan and India routinely level similar accusations against each other, but both countries have often failed to safeguard minority rights and protect them against various attacks.
“Pakistan is a country where human rights abuses, the persecution of minorities, and the systematic erosion of democratic values are state policies,” Jaishankar said during the parliamentary session on Friday.
The Pakistani Foreign Office responded by saying that the “systematic promotion of hatred, discrimination, and violence against minorities in India is well-documented,” citing the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2002 Gujarat massacre, 2020 Delhi pogrom, 1992 demolition of Babri Mosque and other incidents.
“Rather than feigning concern for minorities elsewhere, the Indian government would do well to address its own failures,” it said. “It must take concrete steps to ensure the safety, protection, and well-being of minorities — including Muslims — and safeguard their places of worship, cultural heritage, and fundamental rights.”
Pakistan fires back at India over allegations of mistreatment of minorities
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Pakistan fires back at India over allegations of mistreatment of minorities
- Indian FM Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said there were 10 cases of “atrocities” against the Hindu community in Pakistan last month
- Islamabad says ‘systematic promotion of hatred, discrimination, and violence against minorities’ is well-documented in India
Pakistan rejects Amnesty claims of Israeli spyware use, calls reports ‘disinformation’
- FO denies any link with Israel, says Pakistan has “absolutely no cooperation” on surveillance tools
- Islamabad accuses India of delaying clearance for relief aircraft bound for flood-hit Sri Lanka
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday rejected an Amnesty International report alleging the use of Israeli-made invasive spyware in the country, calling the findings speculative and misleading.
Amnesty’s investigation, published Thursday under the title Intellexa Leaks, cited the case of a Pakistan-based human rights lawyer who reported receiving a suspicious WhatsApp link in 2025. According to Amnesty International’s Security Lab, the link bore signatures consistent with Predator, a spyware product developed by Israeli manufacturer c
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi dismissed the suggestion that Islamabad had deployed the tool or maintained any technological cooperation with Israel.
“These are all media speculations. These are all rumor-mongering and disinformation. There is absolutely no cooperation between Pakistan and Israel on anything, let alone a spyware or these kinds of tools. So, I would reject it quite emphatically,” he said at a weekly briefing.
Andrabi also accused India of obstructing humanitarian operations, saying New Delhi delayed flight clearance for a Pakistani relief aircraft carrying aid to flood-affected Sri Lanka.
“The special aircraft carrying Pakistan’s relief goods had to wait for 48 hours, in fact more than 48 hours, around 60 hours, while the flight clearance from India was delayed,” he said.
He added that the eventual conditional flight window was too narrow to be workable.
“The partial flight clearance which eventually was given after 48 hours was operationally impractical, time-bound just for a few hours and hence not operable, severely hindering the urgent need for the relief mission for the brotherly people of Sri Lanka,” Andrabi stated.
“Humanitarian assistance is like justice, if it is delayed, it is denied.”
Responding to India’s claim that clearance was granted within four hours, he said Pakistan has documentary proof contradicting New Delhi’s version.
On a separate question about reported delays in the arrival of a Turkish delegation aimed at mediating between Islamabad and Kabul, Andrabi said Pakistan welcomed Ankara’s initiative but was unaware of the cause of postponement.
“We stand ready to receive the Turkish delegation. That delegation has not arrived as yet. And I’m not aware of any schedule. Pakistan is ready to hold negotiations, discussions,” he said, adding that the delay may be linked to coordination with the Afghan side.
