India on Saturday strongly rejected the statements made by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari regarding the alleged destruction of Islamic historical sites in the country, saying he had no right to comment on India’s internal affairs.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement that the statements made by Zardari were “particularly ridiculous given Pakistan’s poor human rights record.”
“India categorically rejects the unwarranted comments made by the Pakistani President. In any case, he has no right to comment on India’s internal matters. These comments are particularly ridiculous given Pakistan’s poor human rights record, which deserves global comment. Pakistan’s long history of systematic targeting and victimization of minorities across religions is notorious,” He said in the statement.
He added: “Given this reality, the President’s statements can only be read as a deliberate political attack, driven by Pakistan’s national policies of intolerance and hatred.”
What did Asif Ali Zardari say?
Asif Ali Zardari’s remarks came after the Indian Railways issued a notice to the occupants of the Ganj Shahida Mosque, located near the main entrance of Kashi Railway Station, asking them to vacate the building by June 20.
“President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep concern over the demolitions and threats to historic Islamic religious sites in India, including the 1,000-year-old Ganj Shahida Mosque in Varanasi. He asked India to immediately stop such actions, warning that they may lead to disintegration and permanent chaos in India. He called for an immediate halt to such actions, urging protection of minority rights and common cultural heritage.” The statement issued by the Pakistani President’s Office stated:
The notification forms part of the process of removing encroachments on railway land for its expansion and construction work proposed under the Kashi Railway Station Redevelopment Project.
The development comes in the wake of a similar action on June 3, when the Azjeeb Shaheed shrine and a mosque located within the railway station premises were demolished amid heavy security deployment following a court order in a land ownership dispute.
