FO condemns mosque demolition in India's Uttar Pradesh, terms it part of 'drive to erase Islamic heritage'

Pakistan on Sunday condemned the demolition of a century-old mosque in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, describing it as part of an “Islamophobic and Hindutva-driven campaign to erase the Islamic heritage” of India. Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan called the demolition “a reprehensible action against a historic Islamic place of worship.”

Khan made the remarks while responding to media questions about the demolition. He said the destruction of the Babri Mosque in 1992 remained an “enduring symbol of this ideology of religious intolerance, prejudice and hatred”. Pakistan called on the international community to take immediate notice of what it described as the systematic persecution of Muslims by Indian authorities.

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Islamophobic and Hindutva-driven campaign to erase the Islamic heritage

The statement also accused the authorities of continuing to desecrate and destroy Muslim places of worship “under state patronage”. Khan sought accountability for actions affecting the religious freedom and cultural heritage of minorities in India, particularly Muslims.

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a reprehensible action against a historic Islamic place of worship

The Indian Express reported that the mosque stood inside a Collectorate in Saharanpur and was demolished a day earlier. The demolition came three days after a district court dismissed an appeal against an order that found the structure had been built on government land without authorization.

The September 2 order did not itself mention demolition. Mosque staff member Tanveer Ahmed told The Indian Express that the order called for eviction, not demolition. The supplied report ends while quoting his claim about the mosque’s destruction.

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enduring symbol of this ideology of religious intolerance, prejudice and hatred