India Rejects Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari’s Remarks on Kashmir and Religious Sites, Calls Comments ‘Unwarranted and Absurd’
India on Sunday firmly rejected remarks made by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Kashmir and issues relating to religious sites in the country, asserting that Pakistan has no authority to comment on matters that fall entirely within India’s domestic jurisdiction.
Responding to Zardari’s statement, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India “categorically rejects” the comments made by the Pakistani President.
He emphasised that Zardari has no locus standi to speak on issues that are purely internal matters of India.
Jaiswal also criticised Pakistan’s own human rights record, describing the remarks as particularly inappropriate in light of Islamabad’s international reputation on the issue.
He said Pakistan’s human rights situation has frequently attracted criticism and scrutiny globally.
The MEA spokesperson further accused Pakistan of having a long and well-documented history of systematically targeting and victimising religious minorities.
He said the country’s record concerning communities of different faiths was widely known and had been the subject of international concern.
According to Jaiswal, the Pakistani President’s remarks should be viewed as a politically motivated attack rooted in what he described as Pakistan’s longstanding policies of intolerance and hatred.
The sharp response from New Delhi came after President Asif Ali Zardari issued a statement expressing concern over alleged demolitions and threats to historic Muslim religious sites in India.
In a post shared on X, the Pakistani President referred to the alleged demolition threats facing the historic Masjid Ganj Shaheeda in Varanasi.
He urged Indian authorities to halt such actions, arguing that they could undermine social harmony and lead to prolonged instability.
According to the statement released by Zardari’s office, the Pakistani President expressed deep concern over the reported threats to religious sites, including the Masjid Ganj Shaheeda, which he described as a 1,000-year-old mosque in Varanasi.
He called for the protection of minority rights and the preservation of shared cultural heritage, while urging India to immediately stop any actions that could endanger such sites.
India has consistently maintained that issues concerning its internal affairs are matters of sovereign jurisdiction and has repeatedly rejected comments from Pakistan on domestic developments.
New Delhi’s latest response reiterates its long-standing position that external observations on internal matters, including those relating to Jammu and Kashmir and religious issues, are unacceptable and unwarranted.
