88 Indian pilgrims get visas to visit Pak temple

New Delhi: In an outreach, Pakistan on Thursday announced it had given visas to 88 Indian Hindu pilgrims to visit the famous Katas Raj Temple in Pakistan’s Punjab, even as New Delhi blasted Islamabad over Pakistan’s treatment of its own minorities and also Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comments criticising the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in India.

Islamabad, meanwhile, said it had also recently issued visas to another 57 Indian Hindu pilgrims to visit a famous Hindu temple in Sindh province.

Responding to the Pakistan Prime Minister's criticism of the CAB, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, “I am not going to respond to every unwarranted and gratuitous comments made by Pakis-tani Prime Minister Imran Khan on our internal affairs.

“Such comments cannot absolve Pakistan of the blatant persecution of the religious minorities which flows, including from the discrimination imbibed in its Constitution, the draconian blasphemy laws; the apathy of the State institutions in protecting the girls belonging to minority communities from rape, abduction, forced conversion and marriages; vandalism and destruction of religious places of worship.”

The ministry of external affiars spokesperson added, “Instead of casting aspersions on others, Pakistan needs to look inwards and ensure protection and promotion of the rights of its minorities and co-religionists rather than compulsively comment on others in the breach of internationally recognised norms.”

Meanwhile, in a statement on Pakistan issuing visas to Indian Hindu pilgrims, the Pakistan high commission said, “In the months of November and December, the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi has issued visas to two groups of Indian Hindu pilgrims for visit to their religious sites in Pakistan.