Imran Khan’s remarks on minorities ‘egregious insult’ to India: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday responded sharply to the remarks made by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan about minorities in India, calling Khan’s remarks as an “egregious insult to all citizens of India.”

“The Pakistan Prime Minister’s remarks are an egregious insult to all citizens of India. Pakistan prime minister has demonstrated his lack of understanding about India’s secular polity and ethos,” the MEA said in a strongly-worded statement.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, ” Pakistan’s Prime Minister overlooks the obvious fact that adherents of all faiths choose to live under the democratic polity and the progressive Constitution of India.”

Pakistan PM has triggered a controversy when he said this country does not treat its minorities as ”second class citizens” as India does.

“India has leaders of all faiths who occupy its highest Constitutional and official positions. Pakistani citizens of non-Islamic faith are barred from occupying high Constitutional offices. Minorities are often turned away from government bodies like their PMEAC, even in naya Pakistan,” the ministry added.

India asked Pakistan to “focus on its domestic challenges” and “improve conditions of its citizens rather than try and divert attention.”

This is not for the first time that the Pakistani PM has talked about minorities in India. In December last year, he had said that he will “show Modi government how to treat minorities.”

On 25th December 2018, the birth anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the man who partitioned India, Khan tweeted, “Naya Pakistan is Quaid’s Pakistan and will ensure that our minorities are treated as equal citizens, unlike what is happening in India.”