India on Monday slammed Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over a tweet on "minority rights" and said that Pakistan itself is a "serial violator of minority rights".
In response to media queries regarding a tweet by Shehbaz Sharif and a statement by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "We have noted statements and comments from Pakistan. The absurdity of a serial violator of minority rights commenting on the treatment of minorities in another nation is not lost on anyone. The world has been witness to the systemic persecution of minorities, including Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Ahmadiyyas by Pakistan."
Earlier, Pakistan PM tweeted "I condemn in strongest possible words hurtful comments of India's BJP leader about our beloved Prophet (PBUH)."
Intolerance towards minorities by the state and society has been called a cause of concern by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
Moreover, Pakistani minorities, including Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Ahmadiyyas, live under constant fear of deep-rooted disdain for minority communities in the state of Pakistan.
The recent attacks on Christian youth and priests are yet another example of continuing atrocities against minorities in Pakistan.
In recent years, there has been a surge in attacks on minorities and also their places of worship in Pakistan. The country has been slammed by the international community for not safeguarding the interests of minorities.
"The Government of India accords the highest respect to all religions. This is quite unlike Pakistan where fanatics are eulogized and monuments built in their honour," said Bagchi.
He called on Pakistan to focus on the safety, security and well-being of its minority communities instead of engaging in alarmist propaganda and attempting to foment communal disharmony in India.
India on Monday firmly rejected the recent statement by the General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) about "unwarranted and narrow-minded comments" related to "systematic" harassment of minorities in India.
India on Sunday conveyed to Qatar and Kuwait that it had taken strong action against those who made controversial remarks on Twitter against the minorities.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday suspended its spokesperson Nupur Sharma from the party's primary membership and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal after their alleged inflammatory remarks against minorities.
( With inputs from ANI )
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