ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has strongly condemned reports of profiling of mosques and mosque management committees in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), calling the move a serious violation of religious freedom and an attempt to intimidate the Muslim population.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the reported actions, including the collection of personal details, photographs, and sectarian affiliations of religious functionaries, constituted a “grave violation of the fundamental right to freedom of religion and belief.”The Foreign Office described the measures as a coercive intrusion into religious affairs, aimed at creating fear among worshippers and restricting the free exercise of faith.
It said the targeting of mosques and Muslim clergy reflected a broader pattern of discrimination and institutionalised Islamophobia driven by the Hindutva ideology of the Indian government.“These actions lay bare the discriminatory and communal nature of the occupying power’s policies,” the statement said, adding that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have an inalienable right to practise their religion without fear, coercion, or discrimination.
Pakistan reiterated its solidarity with the people of Kashmir and said it would continue to raise its voice against all forms of religious persecution and intolerance in the occupied territory.The condemnation comes amid ongoing tensions between Pakistan and India over the disputed Kashmir region, which both countries claim in full but control in part.
Earlier this week, Pakistan’s delegate to the United Nations General Assembly, Asif Khan, rejected India’s claim that Jammu and Kashmir is an “integral and inalienable part” of India, stating that such assertions have no basis under international law. He said UN resolutions recognise the territory as disputed and affirm the right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination.
Khan added that since August 5, 2019, India has pursued policies aimed at altering the demographic and political character of the region, in violation of international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention. He stressed that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir must be determined through a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices, reflecting the will of its people.
