Overview
- Pakistan’s Foreign Office cited reports of Christmas-period vandalism in several Indian states and portrayed the treatment of Muslims in India as a deep concern.
- Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi referenced alleged demolitions and lynchings, invoking the Muhammad Akhlaq case to question accountability, while urging global bodies to act.
- India’s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the claims as baseless finger pointing, calling Pakistan’s record on minority rights abysmal and saying it has no moral standing to lecture others.
- Indian reporting documented incidents in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and Chhattisgarh, including a Raipur mall vandalism case and arrests of four suspects in Nalbari after damage to Christmas decorations.
- New Delhi’s rebuttal echoed past exchanges over rights issues, as Islamabad signaled it would continue raising these concerns at multilateral forums.