Islamabad, Sep 6 (PTI) Pakistan on Sunday condemned the demolition of a mosque in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur, calling it a “reprehensible action”.
Authorities in Saharanpur on Saturday demolished a mosque located inside the District Magistrate’s office complex after a court upheld the administration’s claim that the structure amounted to unauthorised occupation of government land.
The demolition triggered criticism from opposition leaders and Muslim organisations in India, who questioned the manner and timing of the action despite the administration maintaining that it was carried out following a court order.
“This reprehensible action against a historic Islamic place of worship is yet another manifestation” of what Islamabad described as a “broader
campaign” to “erase the Islamic heritage”, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a statement.
It also called on the international community to take note of the incident.
The Foreign Office further said Indian authorities should be held accountable for what it termed violations of religious freedoms.
Islamabad’s reaction came four days after India strongly condemned the reported destruction of a Hindu temple in Pakistan’s Narowal region and demanded a prompt investigation.
New Delhi also said Pakistan must take immediate remedial measures to restore the “desecrated temple” and fulfil its primary obligation to guarantee the safety, security and well-being of all its minority citizens and their cultural heritage.
The dispute concerning the Saharanpur mosque centred on the structure’s presence on government land. In July, the City Magistrate’s court held that it amounted to unauthorised occupation of government property and ordered its eviction. The mosque management challenged the order, but the District Judge’s court later dismissed its appeal. PTI SH ABD ABD
/images/ppid_59c68470-image-17886750294423191.webp)
