Citizenship Law
Pakistan strongly voiced its opposition to India’s implementation of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on Thursday, as reported by state-run Radio Pakistan.
India’s announcement of rules to enact the 2019 citizenship law, deemed anti-Muslim by critics, on March 11 sparked unrest. The Modi government had delayed crafting implementation guidelines following protests and sectarian violence after the law’s passage in December 2019, resulting in numerous casualties.
The CAA provides Indian nationality to Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Christians who fled to India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan before December 31, 2014.
This legislation, designed to exclude Muslims, allows non-Muslims identified in the National Registry of Citizens to reclaim citizenship.
Protests erupted in Assam and Tamil Nadu following the law’s sudden implementation before a general election announcement, though no damage or clashes were reported with security forces.
The United States and the United Nations recently expressed concerns over India’s religion-based citizenship law, with the UN labeling it “fundamentally discriminatory.”
Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, in her weekly briefing, criticized India’s legislation as discriminatory, alleging it falsely portrays India as a safe haven for persecuted minorities.
She highlighted the escalating Hindutva ideology under the BJP government, leading to the victimization of Muslims and minorities.
Baloch urged India to halt the marginalization of minorities and protect their rights, echoing UN special rapporteurs’ calls for corrective actions to safeguard human rights and minority interests.
Furthermore, Baloch condemned India’s decision to outlaw the Kashmir National Front in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), denouncing it as oppressive and indicative of India’s suppression of dissent and freedom of expression.
Expressing concern over ongoing atrocities against Palestinians by Israel, Baloch urged the UN Security Council to intervene and end their suffering.
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