Imran Khan, foreign ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told a weekly news briefing on Thursday, had made a habit out of commenting on issues relating to India’s internal affairs.
India’s foreign ministry (MEA) on Thursday lashed out at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan who has been severely critical of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill which will fast-track citizenship for religious minorities from three neighbouring countries, including Pakistan. The other two Muslim-majority countries which the citizenship bill covers are Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Imran Khan, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told a weekly news briefing on Thursday, had made a habit out of commenting on issues relating to India’s internal affairs. New Delhi also told Khan to take steps to protect the rights of its religious minorities rather than “compulsively issue statements”.
Raveesh Kumar also pointed to Pakistan’s “draconian blasphemy laws” and asked Imran Khan to pay more attention to this issue.
Khan criticised the bill, describing it as a “complete violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international covenants”. The Pakistan Prime Minister and other leaders said the bill contravenes several bilateral agreements.
He had scaled up the attack on India over the citizenship bill hours earlier, accusing the Indian government of moving systematically with a “Hindu supremacist agenda” and said the world “must step in before it is too late”.
This agenda, “accompanied by threats to Pakistan under a nuclear overhang, will lead to massive bloodshed and far-reaching consequences for the world,” he said.
Prasanta Patnaik