India Rejects Pakistan’s Minority Rights Criticism, Cites Islamabad’s “Abysmal Record”

India on Monday dismissed Pakistan’s criticism over alleged incidents involving Christian and Muslim minorities in the country, instead pointing to what it described as Islamabad’s “abysmal record” in dealing with the victimisation of minority communities.

The exchange comes amid severely strained bilateral ties, particularly after a four-day military confrontation in May that followed India’s strikes on what it said were terrorist infrastructure sites in Pakistan. New Delhi said the strikes were carried out in retaliation for the April terror attack in Pahalgam.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Islamabad was deeply concerned about what he called the “persecution of minorities in India,” referring to alleged vandalism during Christmas celebrations and what he described as state-backed campaigns targeting Muslims.

Responding to the remarks, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India “rejects the reported remarks from a country whose abysmal record on this front speaks for itself.”

“Pakistan’s horrific and systemic victimisation of minorities of various faiths is a well-established fact,” Jaiswal said. “No amount of finger pointing will obfuscate it.”

Andrabi also alleged that the demolition of homes and incidents of lynching had “deepened fear and alienation among Muslims” in India, and urged the international community to take note of the situation and take what he termed “appropriate steps” to protect the rights of vulnerable communities.

India and Pakistan have frequently traded accusations in recent years over each other’s treatment of minorities. Following the Pahalgam attack, India announced a series of economic and diplomatic measures against Pakistan, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and closing the Attari–Wagah land border crossing.