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India on Monday strongly rejected remarks made by the spokesperson of Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs over alleged minority attacks in India, terming them unfounded and drawing attention to Pakistan's own record on minority rights.
Responding to media queries, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi had taken note of the comments made by Pakistani foreign ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi and dismissed them as baseless. Rejecting the allegations outright, Jaiswal said, "We reject the reported remarks from a country whose abysmal record on this front speaks for itself." Emphasising that Pakistan's treatment of minorities is well documented, he added, "Pakistan's horrific and systemic victimisation of minorities of various faiths is a well-established fact." Stressing that criticism from Islamabad would not alter ground realities, Jaiswal further said, "No amount of finger-pointing will obfuscate it." The Indian response followed comments by Andrabi, who urged the international community to take note of what he described as incidents "targeting religious minorities" in India, including "Christmas-related vandalism and attacks on Muslims," ARY News reported. According to the report, Andrabi referred to alleged cases of "Christmas vandalism and state-backed campaigns targeting Muslims, including demolitions of homes and repeated lynching cases," citing what he described as the high-profile case of Muhammad Akhlaq and alleging that authorities had shielded those responsible from accountability. India's rebuttal comes amid longstanding international criticism of Pakistan's own record on minority rights. Pakistan has frequently been accused of using its blasphemy laws against minorities and vulnerable groups, with Section 295-C drawing sustained concern from global human rights organisations for its vague provisions and severe penalties. These laws have disproportionately affected religious minorities, including Christians, Ahmadis and Hindus. (ANI)
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