A motorcyclist drives past shops that were set on fire by mobs in New Delhi. (Photo: AP)
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan on Thursday condemned the recent communal violence in Delhi and asked the international community to take “practical steps” to stop the Indian government from what it called “pursuing discriminatory and anti-minority polices”.
“The large-scale, targeted violence against Muslims that took place in New Delhi in the backdrop of highly communal statements against Muslims by BJP leaders has been a matter of grave concern and is highly condemnable,” Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said.
She also condemned the “desecration and vandalization of places of worship” during the violence.
“We expect the international community including the United Nations, OIC and relevant Human Rights organisations to take practical steps to stop the Indian government from pursuing discriminatory and anti-minority polices and provide protection to the minorities, particularly Muslims, their places of worship and properties,” she said.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have spiked since India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August last year. India”s decision evoked strong reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy.
India has maintained that the scrapping of Article 370 was its internal matter.
To a question she said that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ meeting was expected to take place in April in Niger.
Responding to several queries about the coronavirus, she said Pakistan’s Consulate in Herat, Afghanistan had been closed for 15 days for administrative reasons and the consular section of embassy in Kabul had also been closed for a few days for administrative reasons.
She also said that Pakistan congratulated Ashraf Ghani for his reelection as Afghan president
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