‘No locus standi on internal matters’: MEA on Pak President’s ‘threat to Muslim sites in India’ remark

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday rejected comments made by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari claiming “threats to Muslim religious sites in India”, calling the remark “absurd”. In a statement, the MEA also made it clear that the Pakistan President had “no locus standi to comment on matters that are internal to India”.

What MEA said

Responding to media queries on the remarks made by the Pakistani President, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India “categorically rejects” the comments and described them as unwarranted interference in the country’s internal affairs.

“India categorically rejects the unwarranted comments made by the President of Pakistan. He has, in any case, no locus standi to comment on matters that are internal to India,” Jaiswal said in a statement.

The MEA also pointed out that the remarks were particularly ironic given Pakistan’s own human rights record and treatment of minorities.

“These comments are particularly absurd given Pakistan’s own abysmal record on human rights, which is a matter of global commentary. Pakistan’s long history of systematically targeting and victimizing minorities across various faiths is notorious,” the spokesperson said.

The ministry also alleged that the comments reflected Pakistan’s broader political approach toward India.

“Given this reality, the President’s remarks can only be read as a deliberate political attack, driven by Pakistan’s national policies of bigotry and hatred,” the statement added.

Pakistan President’s post on X

The MEA’s response came after Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari issued a statement on alleged demolitions and threats to historic Muslim religious sites in India.

In a statement on X, Zardari referred to the alleged demolition threats facing the historic Masjid Ganj Shaheeda in Varanasi and urged Indian authorities to halt such actions.

“President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep concern over the demolitions and threats to historic Muslim religious sites in India, including the 1,000-year-old Masjid Ganj Shaheeda in Varanasi. He asked India to immediately stop such actions, warning that they risk leading to the disintegration and perennial chaos of India. He called for an immediate halt to such actions and urged the protection of minority rights and shared cultural heritage,” the statement said.

Kashi Railway Station expansion

According to reports, railway authorities issued a notice directing the Ganj Shaheeda mosque near Kashi Railway Station to vacate the premises as part of the station expansion project.

The Intajamia Masjid Committee has objected to the eviction notice and rejected allegations that it is located on encroached railway land. They argued that the Ganj Shahida Mosque has a history of approximately 1,000 years and existed there long before the railways.

Station Superintendent Arpit Gupta of Cant Railway Station said the land around Kashi Railway Station needs to be cleared of encroachments for the station’s expansion and proposed construction works.

“Various locations have been identified and action is being taken accordingly,” Gupta said.

He said the Railways and the district administration had earlier carried out anti-encroachment drives in and around Kashi Railway Station. As part of a joint exercise, a Hanuman temple and the Ajmer Shaheed mosque situated in the Rajghat area had already been removed, he said.

The notice was issued days after the demolition of the Azgaib Shaheed Mazar and a mosque located within the railway station premises on June 3, following a court order in a land-ownership dispute.

Officials had said a survey conducted for the redevelopment project found the structures on railway land, after which notices were issued and demolition proceedings carried out.