External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar today said that India closely follows and tracks the treatment of minorities in Pakistan and takes this up at the international level. Responding to a question in Lok Sabha, Dr Jaishankar said that the Indian representative at the UN Human Rights Council had recently pointed out that Pakistan is a country where human rights abuses, persecution of minorities and systematic erosion of democratic values are state policies. He said the Indian ambassador in the UN General Assembly had also recently underlined the fanatical mindset of Pakistan.
The External Affairs Minister informed the House that in February this year, in Pakistan there were 10 cases of atrocities against the Hindu community, seven of which are related to abduction and forcible conversion, two related to abduction and one related to police action against students who were celebrating Holi. He added that there were three incidents relating to the Sikh community in Pakistan. There were two cases about the Ahmedia community and one about the Christian community. Dr Jaishankar stressed that India takes up these cases on an international level.
Replying to another question, the External Affairs Minister said New Delhi also tracks the well-being of the minorities in Bangladesh. He added that in 2024, there were two thousand 400 incidents relating to attacks on minorities and 72 such incidents in 2025. He said he has taken it up with his Bangladesh counterpart, and this continues to be a matter of concern for the government.
