National Assembly passes resolution to condemn discriminatory legislation in India

ISLAMABAD, Dec 16 (APP):The National Assembly of Pakistan on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution to condemn the India’s Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and termed it as a discriminatory law enacted by Indian Parliament last week.

The resolution was moved by Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood which was unanimously adopted by the House.

It underlined that the new Indian law is based on falsehood, and distortion of facts relating to treatment of minorities in neighboring countries.

It stated that the controversial amendment is against international norms of equality and non-discrimination and International Human Rights Law as it seeks to set up a faith-based criteria for a group of citizenship.

It further stated that this amendment is also against bilateral agreements and understandings between Indian and Pakistan particularly those on security and rights of minorities in the respective countries.

It stressed that the status of minorities in India remains deplorable and points to instances of persecution of minorities including mob lynching, particularly targeting Muslims and low caste dalits by cow-vigilantes from extremist Hindu organizations like Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, schemes likes Ghar Wapsi and ‘Love Jihad’ and violence against Christians and other minorities.

It underlined that the new Act ostensibly tries to give the impression that it aims to provide protection to minorities from neighboring countries while ignoring the fact that the rights of minorities in India continue to be violated.

It reiterated that Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir was only Muslim majority area in India where eight million innocent Kashmiris are collectively incarcerated and penalized by 900,000 Indian occupation forces and face the danger of forced demographic change.

It reaffirmed its solidarity and commitment to the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir in their just struggle for their rights to self determination and reiterates its continuing political and moral struggle for this just struggle in line with UN Security Council Resolution.

It further reiterated the recent anti Muslim actions of BJP/RSS led government like revocation of Article 370 from Indian Constitution and illegal annexation of the IOJ&K, and collective incarceration and violation of the rights of more than 8 million innocent Kashmiris at the hand of Indian Occupation forces for the last four months, shifting the burden of proof of citizenship on minorities through the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam and rewarding those who vandalized the Babri Mosque in 1992 are all signs of movements towards ethnic cleansing.

It asserted that extremist and fascist measures of BJP government in pursuit of Hindutva ideology are fast leading India into a Hindu Rashtra, where the minorities, particularly Muslims are facing the brunt of persecution.

It noted with grave concern the Indian State’s excessive use of force and violent response against protesters, in particular religious minorities and Muslim students in various parts of India.

It condemned the 2019 controversial Amendment Act to India’s Citizenship Law in the strongest terms which is not only regressive and discriminatory but also interference in the affairs of neighboring countries.

It rejected India’s patently false insinuation that minorities in Pakistan are not protected and reiterated that all minorities are equal citizens of Pakistan under its Constitution and enjoy equal protection of laws and continue to contribute actively to our collective national development and prosperity.

It stated that all institutions in Pakistan including the Parliament continue to mainstream our minorities and to promote their welfare.

It called upon the international community including the United Nations, Human Rights Council, and other relevant Human Rights organizations to urge India to revoke this discriminatory Act and to protect and safeguard the rights of its minorities including Muslims.

It also called upon India, with specific regards, to the amendments through the Citizenship (Amendment Act) to revoke the discriminatory clauses in the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019; immediately halt the brutal use of force against the religious minorities, in particular Indian Muslim students ; release of peaceful protests detained under crackdown against minorities; reverse all discriminatory measures and steps in order to allow minorities to live with dignity and safety and lift curfew and information block out from Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and respect UN Security Council Resolutions.