Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) summoned the Indian Charge d’ Affaires to convey Pakistan’s categorical rejection and strong condemnation of the derogatory remarks about the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by Bharatiya Janata Party officials.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Monday said that the Indian diplomat was informed that such blasphemy causes severe pain to the residents of Pakistan as well as Muslims around the globe.
According to the MOFA statement, the Indian Charge d’ Affairs was told that this development requires immediate disciplinary action by the BJP government of India against the officials involved. Furthermore it was conveyed that Pakistan was deeply concerned about the increase in communal violence and hatred against Muslims in India.
The Indian High Commission official was warned that Muslims in India were being stigmatized and marginalized and they were continuously facing an onslaught from radical Hindu mobs with the full support of various states in India.
Meanwhile, the MOFA condemned the growing mainstreaming of anti-Muslim sentiment and increasing attempts at depriving the Muslims of their centuries-old places of worship. The statement further stated that the attempts were the obvious outcomes of the deep-seated Islamophobia in Indian society that is the core responsibility of the Indian government to implement.
In the demarche, Pakistan strongly urged the BJP leadership and the government of India to condemn the sacrilegious comments of the BJP officials and ensure that they were held accountable through decisive and demonstrable action for attacking the dignity of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
The MOFA statement reminded the Indian government of its obligations under international law to take immediate steps necessary to protect minorities from human rights violations, ensure safety, security, and well-being; and allow them to profess and practice their faiths in peace.
Pakistan called upon the international community as well as the United Nations and Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), especially their human rights machinery, to take action upon this incident and stop the dangerously rising “Hindutva” inspired Islamophobia in India.
On the other hand, the BJP has already suspended its party spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, and fired its media head, Naveen Kumar Jindal, for hateful comments toward Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) after reaction of condemnations from Muslims in India and across the world.
