ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday condemned the reports of profiling of mosques and mosque management committees in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
“This blatant intrusion into religious affairs constitutes a grave violation of the fundamental right to freedom of religion and belief, and reflects yet another coercive attempt to intimidate and marginalise the Muslim population of the occupied territory,” said a spokesperson for the Foreign Office in a press statement.
The forcible collection of personal details, photographs and sectarian affiliations of religious functionaries amounted to systematic harassment, aimed at instilling fear among worshippers and obstructing the free exercise of their faith.
These actions formed part of a broader pattern of institutionalised Islamophobia driven by the Hindutva ideology of the occupying Indian government.
“The selective targeting of mosques and Muslim clergy lays bare the discriminatory and communal character of these policies. The people of Jammu and Kashmir possess an inalienable right to practice their religion without fear, coercion or discrimination,” it was added.
The spokesperson further reiterated that Pakistan would continue to stand in solidarity with them and would persist in raising its voice against all forms of religious persecution and intolerance targeting Kashmiris.
This latest incident is part of the ongoing persecution of Muslims in Kashmir. Earlier, authorities in the region shut down a medical college in Occupied Kashmir following weeks of protests by right-wing Hindu groups opposed to the admission of a predominantly Muslim student body, Al Jazeera reported.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) revoked the recognition of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical Institute (SMVDMI) on January 6. The NMC cited “critical deficiencies” in infrastructure and faculty as the official reason for the revocation. However, the decision followed intense protests by Hindu groups who demanded the removal of Muslim students from the institution.