India has strongly rejected comments made by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari regarding alleged threats to Muslim religious sites in the country, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) calling the remarks unwarranted and inappropriate.
Responding to the statements, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Pakistan has no authority to comment on matters that fall within India’s domestic jurisdiction. “India categorically rejects the unwarranted comments made by the President of Pakistan. He has, in any case, no locus standi to comment on matters that are internal to India,” Jaiswal said.
The response came after Zardari raised concerns on social media about an alleged threat to the historic Masjid Ganj Shaheeda in Varanasi and other Muslim religious sites across India.
In his response, Jaiswal also pointed to Pakistan’s human rights record, arguing that the country’s treatment of minorities has faced criticism at the international level.
He described Zardari’s comments as “absurd” in light of Pakistan’s own record, alleging a history of targeting and victimising religious minorities belonging to different faiths.
The MEA spokesperson further said the Pakistani President’s remarks appeared to be politically motivated and reflected policies rooted in intolerance. “Given this reality, the President’s remarks can only be read as a deliberate political attack, driven by Pakistan’s national policies of bigotry and hatred,” he added.
India has consistently maintained that Pakistan should refrain from commenting on issues that are internal to India. The government has repeatedly rejected statements from Islamabad on domestic matters, asserting that such interventions are unacceptable.
India’s latest response reiterates that position, while dismissing Zardari’s comments on religious sites as baseless and inappropriate.