UN, Mar 17 ; At the United Nations General Assembly, India mounted a strong rebuttal to Pakistan, accusing it of promoting selective narratives on Islamophobia while overlooking its own record on religious freedoms.
Addressing a session marking the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, India’s Permanent Representative Parvathaneni Harish said Islamabad has consistently attempted to leverage religious issues for political purposes on global platforms, including through the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
He stressed that discussions on religious intolerance must not be confined to a single faith, urging the global community to instead address “religiophobia” in a comprehensive manner. According to him, selectively highlighting one form of discrimination risks distorting the larger issue and weakening collective efforts to combat intolerance.
Harish also cautioned against the increasing trend of using religious identity as a political tool, noting that such practices undermine the foundational principles of the United Nations, which is meant to rise above divisions of religion and culture.
Highlighting concerns over Pakistan’s domestic record, the envoy referred to issues such as the treatment of minority communities and actions affecting regional stability, suggesting these should also form part of global conversations on religious rights.
Emphasising India’s pluralistic fabric, he pointed to the country’s large and diverse religious population and its longstanding traditions of coexistence. He reiterated that India remains committed to promoting harmony and equal respect for all faiths.
Concluding his remarks, Harish called on the United Nations to prioritise inclusive approaches that address all forms of religious discrimination and to work towards building societies grounded in equality, dignity, and the rule of law.