ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday strongly condemned India for profiling mosques and religious management committees in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), calling it a blatant intrusion into religious affairs.
In an official statement, the Foreign Office (FO) said the move represents “yet another coercive attempt to intimidate and marginalize the Muslim population” in the territory.
“The forcible collection of personal details, photographs, and sectarian affiliations of religious functionaries amounts to systematic harassment, aimed at instilling fear among worshippers and obstructing the free exercise of their faith,” the FO added.
The statement comes shortly after a US-based research group, India Hate Lab, reported a 13% rise in hate speech against minorities, including Muslims and Christians, in 2025 — with most incidents occurring in states governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
According to Islamabad, India’s actions are part of a broader pattern of institutionalized Islamophobia, driven by the Hindutva ideology of the occupying government. “The selective targeting of mosques and Muslim clergy lays bare the discriminatory and communal nature of these policies,” the FO said.
Pakistan reaffirmed the Kashmiri people’s inalienable right to practice their religion without fear, coercion, or discrimination and expressed unwavering solidarity with them. The FO vowed to continue raising its voice against all forms of religious persecution and intolerance in IIOJK.
Rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have highlighted a rise in abuse of minorities in India since Modi took office in 2014. Controversial measures include the religion-based citizenship law, anti-conversion legislation, the 2019 revocation of IIOJK’s special status, and demolition of Muslim-owned properties.
Hate and discrimination have also targeted Christians. During Christmas 2025, violent mobs vandalized decorations across Chhattisgarh and Assam, with far-right groups such as Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal attacking schools, torching festival items, and protesting Christian celebrations.