India’s Ministry of External Affairs has taken a strong objection to comments made by Pakistan on the Waqf Amendment Act enacted by the Parliament of India and termed them baseless and motivated while pointing out Islamabad’s own abysmal record on protecting the rights of minorities.

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In response to media queries regarding comments made by Pakistan on the Waqf Bill, the MEA’s Official Spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said, “We strongly reject the motivated and baseless comments made by Pakistan on the Waqf Amendment Act enacted by the Parliament of India. Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on a matter that is internal to India. Pakistan would do better to look at its own abysmal record when it comes to protecting the rights of minorities, instead of preaching to others.”

The rebuttal came days after Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan criticised the changes in India’s Waqf laws and said that the legislation was an infringement on the religious and economic rights of Indian Muslims.

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“The passage of this discriminatory legislation is also reflective of the growing majoritarianism in India. There are serious apprehensions that it will contribute to further marginalization of Indian Muslims,” Khan was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Earlier, during the debate in the Indian Parliament, BJP MP Amit Malviya had hailed the legislation aimed at modernising the management and administration of Waqf properties in India, and while providing global comparisons, he pointed out Pakistan governs Waqf properties through multiple provincial laws, including the Sindh Waqf Properties Act (2020) and Punjab Waqf Properties Ordinance (1979). 

He also pointed out that Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan do not have women members on the Waqf governance board.

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Meanwhile, in yet another provocation, an anti-India march is being organised in Bangladesh by radical Islamists in response to the Waqf Amendment Bill passed in India.

The Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis has announced a march and memorandum submission to the Indian Embassy in Dhaka on April 23. The group’s leader, Maulana Mamunul Haque, accused the “Hindutva BJP government” of killing Muslims across India.