NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday flagged that worsening treatment of minorities in Pakistan and said that the situation is “extremely disturbing.”
Seconding external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s remarks, Tharoor said that the government cannot convey its concerns directly because there is no real dialogue going on between India and Pakistan.
“It is a clear signal that we are concerned about the well-being of minorities in Pakistan. Another difficulty is that there is no real dialogue going on between India and Pakistan. Otherwise, we could have conveyed our concerns directly and sought redressal,” Tharoor said.
“The minister’s statement was completely factual, and we should take note that there’s an extremely disturbing situation in our neighbouring country,” the Congress leader added.
This comes after Jaishankar told the Lok Sabha on Friday that India is “very closely” tracking incidents of attacks on minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The minister said New Delhi is making its position “well known” but cannot change the “fanatical and bigoted mindset” of a neighbouring country.
“There were three incidents relating to the Sikh community in Pakistan. In one case, a Sikh family was attacked. In another case, a Sikh family was threatened because of the reopening of an old gurdwara. There was also an abduction and conversion issue with one girl from that community. There were two cases pertaining to the Ahmadiyya community. In one case, a mosque was sealed and in another case, 40 graves were desegregated and there was one case pertaining to the Christian community, where a Christian person who reportedly was mentally unstable was charged with blasphemy,” Jaishankar informed the House.
On March 26, Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) released a report highlighting a sharp rise in attacks on religious minorities in the country during the first quarter of 2025. The report condemned the escalating abuses, stating that relief and justice remain elusive due to resource constraints and the influence of religious and political figures.
HRFP President Naveed Walter said, “Religious minorities in Pakistan are easier targets for attacks, murders, blasphemy charges, abductions, forced conversions, and forced marriages. The lack of attention to their suffering and neglect is even more painful.” The report cited several recent cases, including the false accusation of theft against Wasif Masih, a Christian youth from Chak Jhumra, Faisalabad, who was assaulted and publicly humiliated with black paint on his face.
