Foreign Office briefs OIC's envoys on Babri Masjid issue

ISLAMABAD: Pursuant to the Indian Supreme Court verdict regarding the historic Babri Masjid, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood on Wednesday briefed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) resident ambassadors in Islamabad, ARY News reported.

Giving an overview of the events leading to the verdict, Sohail Mahmood underlined that it failed to uphold the demands of justice, shredded the veneer of so-called secularism of India, and further illustrated the vulnerabilities of the minorities in India, particularly Muslims, in the face of extremist “Hindutva” ideology, read a statement issued by the Foreign Officer (FO).

Contrary to Indian claims of this being an “internal” matter, the Babri Masjid demolition has remained on the agenda of the OIC since 1992, read the statement.

He said that the OIC had also addressed the issue in numerous resolutions and declarations, including at the summit level.

Earlier on November 9, Expressing deep concerns over the judgment of Indian apex court in historic Babri Mosque case, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Dr. Mohammad Faisal had said that the decision had once again failed to uphold the demands of justice.

In a statement issued by the FO, Dr. Faisal had said, “This decision has shredded the veneer of so-called secularism of India by making clear that minorities in India are no longer safe; they have to fear for their beliefs and for their places of worship.”