Pakistan Condemns Demolition of Century-Old Mosque in India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has strongly condemned the reported demolition of a century-old mosque in Saharanpur, India, with the Foreign Office describing the action as an attack on a historic Islamic place of worship. The statement was issued on September 6 after reports emerged about the demolition in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan, responding to media questions about the incident, said Pakistan viewed the demolition as part of a wider pattern threatening Islamic religious and cultural heritage in India. Islamabad linked the episode to concerns it has repeatedly raised about the treatment of Muslim communities and their places of worship across the neighbouring country.

According to reports cited by Pakistani media, the mosque was demolished by authorities in Uttar Pradesh on September 5 amid a police presence. Pakistan's Foreign Office criticised the action and said religious sites and the cultural heritage of minority communities should be protected rather than subjected to destruction or desecration.

The spokesperson also referred to the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya while explaining Pakistan's position. Islamabad said that episode remained an important historical reference in its concerns about religious intolerance and the treatment of Islamic heritage in India. The latest statement placed the Saharanpur incident within that broader diplomatic dispute over minority rights and religious freedom.

Pakistan called on the international community to pay attention to what it described as continued pressure on Muslims and their places of worship in India. The Foreign Office said Indian authorities should be held accountable for actions affecting fundamental religious freedoms and the cultural heritage of minorities, particularly Muslims. The appeal signals that Islamabad intends to raise such incidents beyond the bilateral context when it believes international religious-freedom principles are involved.

The development comes against the backdrop of long-running tensions between Pakistan and India, whose relations remain strained by disputes ranging from Kashmir and security issues to diplomatic disagreements over minority rights. Religious and cultural heritage has also periodically become part of the public exchange between the two governments, particularly when incidents involving mosques, temples or minority communities attract regional attention.

For Pakistan, the latest Foreign Office intervention reinforces its established diplomatic position that protection of Muslim religious sites in India is an issue of international concern. No specific new bilateral measure was announced alongside the statement, but Islamabad's call for international scrutiny indicates that the matter could be raised in future diplomatic engagements or multilateral forums. Further developments will depend on any response from Indian authorities and whether international organisations or governments address the concerns raised by Pakistan.