NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Monday rejected Pakistan’s charges of attacks on minorities in India. The MEA called it a “finger pointing” act and said that the neighbouring nation itself has an “abysmal record on this front”.”We reject 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. No amount of finger pointing will obfuscate it,” MEA said in a statement. The response came as Pakistani foreign affairs spokesperson Tahir Andrabi called upon the international community to take note of recent incidents “targeting religious minorities” in India, including “Christmas-related vandalism and attacks on Muslims”, and to take steps to safeguard the fundamental rights of vulnerable groups, ARY news reported.Last month, Pakistan had made objected to the flag-hosting ceremony at the Ram temple which saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation. MEA had described the remarks as politically motivated and unacceptable, asserting that Pakistan had no standing to comment on India’s internal affairs.”We have seen the reported remarks and reject them with the contempt they deserve. As a country with a deeply stained record of bigotry, repression, and systemic mistreatment of its minorities, Pakistan has no moral standing to lecture others. Rather than delivering hypocritical homilies, Pakistan would do better to turn its gaze inwards and focus on its own abysmal human rights record,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said.
