Iran Press/ Asia: Addressing the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday, Khan said Islamophobia prevails in India today and threatens the nearly 200 million Muslims who live there.
"The one country in the world today where, I am sad to say, the state sponsors Islamophobia, is India. The reason behind this is Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideology that unfortunately rules India today," Khan said in a recorded speech to the UNGA, which is being held virtually amid the coronavirus pandemic, Al Jazeera reported.
"They believe that India is exclusive to Hindus and others are not equal citizens."
According to Al Jazeera, Pakistan PM has frequently criticized the decision by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi last August to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its statehood, scrap its separate constitution and remove inherited protections on land and jobs.
India’s security clampdown sparked protests, and UN-appointed independent experts have called on the Indian government to take urgent action.
"There will be no durable peace and stability in South Asia until the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is resolved on the basis of international legitimacy," Khan said, calling for a peaceful solution and a rescinding of India’s August 5 move.
Residents of the heavily militarised Indian-administered Kashmir say security forces have arrested thousands of young men, raided people’s homes, inflicted beatings and electric shocks, and threatened to take away and marry their female relatives.
Thousands of protesters over the past year have been wounded in pellet-gun attacks, including hundreds blinded in one or both eyes.
For seven months, until March, the area was under a communications blackout with social media and internet access banned.
"The international community must investigate these grave violations and prosecute the Indian civil and military personnel involved in state terrorism and serious crimes against humanity," Imran Khan said.
Khan, as he did in his speech before the world body last year, also condemned the targeting of Muslims in many countries and provocations and incitement “in the name of free speech”.
"Incidents in Europe, including the republication of blasphemous sketches by Charlie Hebdo, are recent examples," he said.
The French magazine Charlie Hebdo recently republished controversial insulting cartoons about the Holy Prophet of Islam (PBUH) in a new audacity that were first published in 2015.
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