Pakistan condemns demolition of century-old mosque in India's Saharanpur

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday strongly condemned the demolition of a century-old mosque in Saharanpur, India, calling upon the international community to take immediate cognizance of the systematic persecution of Muslims by Indian authorities, the Foreign Office said.

Responding to media queries regarding reports of the demolition of the century-old mosque, Foreign Office Spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan condemned the move and described it as a “reprehensible action” against a historic place of worship.

He recalled that the demolition of the Babri Mosque in 1992 as an “enduring symbol of this [Hindutva] ideology of religious intolerance, prejudice and hatred.”

In 1992, a Hindu mob destroyed the famous Babri mosque, triggering riots that killed about 2,000 people across India, most of them Muslims.

“Pakistan calls upon the international community to take immediate cognizance of the systematic persecution of Muslims by Indian authorities and the continued desecration and destruction of their places of worship under state patronage,” the statement added.

Islamabad emphasized that the Indian authorities must be held accountable for such actions against the fundamental religious freedoms and cultural heritage of all minorities, particularly the Muslims.

Demolition of mosques 

The demolition of mosques has continued to take place in various parts of India under BJP rule.

In 2023, Shahi Masjid, a 16th-century mosque on G.T Road in Uttar Pradesh’s Saidabad, Prayagraj, was demolished by authorities to widen the highway, according to an Indian media report.

Then in 2021, the Barabanki district administration in Uttar Pradesh demolished the Masjid Garib Nawaz Al Maroof, claiming it was an “illegal structure.”

Similarly, in November 2022, a 300-year-old mosque was razed to the ground in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar because it blocked the 709 A.D. Panipat-Khatima highway in Sherpur.

The repeated demolition of mosques in India raises serious concerns over the protection of Muslim places of worship, religious freedoms, and Islamic heritage, highlighting growing questions about the treatment of minority communities under BJP rule.