External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday raised concerns over the persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan, providing detailed accounts of recent atrocities against Hindus, Sikhs, Ahmadis, and Christians. Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament, Jaishankar emphasized that India closely monitors these incidents and consistently raises the issue on international platforms such as the United Nations.
Jaishankar provided specific examples of violence, abduction, and forced conversions that took place in February 2025, underlining the ongoing targeting of religious minorities in Pakistan. He revealed that there were ten cases of atrocities reported against the Hindu community, with seven incidents involving abduction and forcible conversion, two cases of abduction, and one involving police action against students celebrating Holi. He also mentioned three incidents targeting the Sikh community, including the attack on a Sikh family, a threat to another Sikh family over the reopening of an old Gurudwara, and the abduction and forced conversion of a Sikh girl. Jaishankar further cited two incidents involving the Ahmadiyya community, one where a mosque was sealed by authorities and another where 40 Ahmadi graves were desecrated. Additionally, he highlighted a blasphemy charge against a Christian man, reportedly mentally unstable, in an incident involving the Christian community.
Jaishankar emphasized that these cases were not isolated but part of a larger pattern of systematic violence against minorities in Pakistan, highlighting the urgent need for international attention and intervention.
In his remarks, Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s stance on Pakistan’s treatment of minorities and stated that India consistently raises these issues at the global level. He mentioned that during recent discussions at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), India’s representative had strongly criticized Pakistan for its human rights violations and state-sponsored persecution of minorities. Jaishankar quoted India’s statement at the UNHRC, saying, “Pakistan is a country where human rights abuses, the persecution of minorities, and the systematic erosion of democratic values are state policies. It continues to harbor UN-sanctioned terrorists, undermining global security and stability.”
Jaishankar’s statement in Parliament reinforces India’s commitment to advocating for the protection of minorities and highlighting human rights violations in Pakistan on the international stage. The remarks also reflect India’s continued efforts to bring global attention to the issue of minority persecution in its neighboring country.
