India in UNGA slams Pak for ‘fabricating imaginative tales of Islamophobia’

India on Monday (March 16) called out Pakistan for its habit of “fabricating imaginative” tales of Islamophobia in neighbouring countries, questioning how Islamabad’s own brutal repression of Ahmadiyyas or air-bombing campaigns during Ramzan against Afghanistan can be characterised as.

This came hours before Pakistan’s military allegedly bombed a Kabul hospital that treats drug users, with an Afghan government spokesman saying more than 400 people had been killed. Pakistan dismissed the accusation, saying the strikes did not hit any civilian sites.

Pakistan had earlier denied that it had hit a hospital, saying its strike in Kabul and other strikes in eastern Afghanistan Monday had not hit any civilian sites.

Also read: Pakistan strike on Afghanistan drug rehab hospital leaves 400 dead

The alleged attack came hours after Afghan officials said the two sides exchanged fire along their common border, killing four people in Afghanistan, as the deadliest fighting between the neighbors in years entered a third week.

‘Fabricating imaginative tales’

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish’s remarks came as he addressed the UN General Assembly commemoration of the International Day to Combat Islamophobia on Monday.

“India’s western neighbour is an excellent example of fabricating imaginative tales of Islamophobia in their neighbourhood,” Harish said.

“One wonders what would brutal repression of Ahmadiyyas in this country be termed, or the large-scale refoulement of the helpless Afghans or air-bombing campaigns in this holy month of Ramadan,” Harish said.

Weaponisation of religious identity

In a strong retort, he also said that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which “our western neighbour has systematically attempted to weaponise against India”, has repeatedly made false and baseless allegations against my country.

Also read: 'Flagrant violation of international law': India slams Pak airstrikes on Afghanistan at UN

He stressed that it is important for the UN to take note of the rising trend and dangers of weaponising religious identity and instrumentalising it to serve narrow political ends by state and non-state actors alike.

India’s fundamental ethos

Underlining that India is home to more than 200 million Muslims, one of the largest populations of the community in the world, he said Muslims in India, including those in Jammu and Kashmir, elect their own representatives to speak for them.

“The only ‘phobia’ evident here appears to be directed against the multicultural and peaceful coexistence that all communities in India enjoy, including Muslim communities," he said.

“Such narratives run counter to India’s fundamental ethos and reflect instead the sectarianism and terrorist mentality that this country has perpetuated since its inception. That is the real issue at hand,” he said.

(With agency inputs)