Sharif accuses Modi govt of persecuting Muslims, condemns BJP leaders' comments about Prophet

Sharif took over as the Prime Minister of Pakistan on April 11 after a voting on the no-confidence motion against Khan in the National Assembly

Comments by now-suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal against Prophet Mohammed drew a personal attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his counterpart in Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, on Sunday.

Sharif cited the remarks by the BJP leaders to accuse the Modi government in New Delhi of trampling religious freedoms and persecuting the Muslims.

Also read: BJP suspends Nupur Sharma, expels Naveen Kumar Jindal for remarks against Prophet Mohammed

“I condemn in strongest possible words hurtful comments of India's BJP leader about our beloved Prophet (PBUH). Have said it repeatedly India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms & (and) persecuting Muslims,” Sharif, who succeeded Imran Khan as Prime Minister of Pakistan, tweeted, adding that the world should take note and “severely reprimand” India.

“Our love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is supreme. All Muslims can sacrifice their life for the Love & Respect of their Holy Prophet (PBUH),” Sharif wrote in another post on Twitter.

Khan has often not only personally targeted Modi but also accused India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of sponsoring hatred and prejudice against Islam. He had also been routinely criticising India for its August 2019 move to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and reorganise the erstwhile state into two Union Territories.

Sharif took over as the Prime Minister of Pakistan on April 11 after the voting on the no-confidence motion against Khan in the National Assembly cut short the cricketer-turned-politician’s tenure in the top office in Islamabad. Modi congratulated Sharif on Twitter and stated that India desired peace and stability in a region free of terror, so that it could focus on its development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of its people. Sharif responded, tweeting that Pakistan too had desired peaceful and cooperative ties with India, but peaceful settlement of outstanding disputes including J&K was indispensable.

The new Prime Minister of Pakistan took to Twitter after a court in India convicted Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Yasin Malik on terror funding charges. He accused the Government of India of mistreating the political prisoners from Kashmir and alleged that Malik had been convicted of fake charges.