ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday urged Indian Muslims to stand up for the protection of their fundamental rights in India.
In a statement released today, the minister said that the persecution campaign against Muslims in the neighboring country will not stop if the Muslim community remained silent.
FM Qureshi strongly condemned the banning of the hijab at educational institutions in Karnataka, India. He added that the flag bearers of human rights should take notice and speak for the rights of Muslim girl students who are being deprived of their fundamental right to education.
Voicing concerns over the maltreatment of minorities in India, he stated that Pakistan will host the 48th session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers and informed that the meeting will discuss the issues faced by the Muslim Ummah, including the Palestine and Kashmir disputes, and Islamophobia.
Qureshi’s statement comes a day after a video of a lone Burqa-wearing Muslim student, who was heckled by Hindu far-right goons in India’s southern Karnataka state, stirred outrage and triggered protests after some schools in the state refused entry to female students wearing the hijab.
