India Rejects Pakistan President's Remarks on Internal Matters

The spokesperson also criticised Pakistan's human rights record, arguing that the Pakistani President's remarks were misplaced given the country's own challenges.

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday strongly rejected comments made by Pakistan's president Asif Ali Zardari, snubbing the remarks as "unwarranted" and an attempt to interfere in India's internal matters. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi "categorically rejects" the statements made by the Pakistani leader and questioned his authority to comment on issues concerning India. "India categorically rejects the unwarranted comments made by the president of Pakistan. He has, in any case, no locus standi to comment on matters that are internal to India," Jaiswal said in a statement. The Pakistan president had made a remark on the alleged demolition of a mosque in Varanasi. The spokesperson also criticised Pakistan's human rights record, arguing that the Pakistani president's remarks were misplaced given the country's own challenges. "These comments are particularly absurd given Pakistan's own abysmal record on human rights, which is a matter of global commentary," he said. Jaiswal further accused Pakistan of having a long history of discrimination against minority communities, saying the country's treatment of religious minorities had drawn widespread criticism. "Pakistan's long history of systematically targeting and victimising minorities across various faiths is notorious," he said. The MEA spokesperson said the Pakistani President's comments appeared to be politically motivated rather than a genuine expression of concern. "Given this reality, the President's remarks can only be read as a deliberate political attack, driven by Pakistan's national policies of bigotry and hatred," Jaiswal added.