Pakistan condemns demolition of century-old mosque in India's Saharanpur

Pakistan on Sunday strongly criticised the demolition of a historic mosque in Saharanpur, India, describing the move as a condemnable act against an Islamic place of worship with significant historical importance.

The Foreign Office also urged the international community to take immediate notice of what it described as the continued persecution of Muslims by Indian authorities.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the destruction of the historic mosque reflected what it termed a wider campaign driven by Islamophobia and Hindutva ideology aimed at removing Islamic heritage from India.

The reaction followed the demolition of the mosque by the Saharanpur administration on Saturday. The structure, located within the Saharanpur Collectorate complex in Uttar Pradesh, was brought down under heavy police security after a district court recently upheld the administration’s decision to declare it an unauthorised structure on government-owned land.

The Foreign Office also referred to the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, describing the incident as a lasting representation of what Pakistan views as religious intolerance, discrimination and hatred.

Pakistan further called on the international community to take immediate action over what it characterised as the systematic targeting of Muslims in India, including the alleged destruction and desecration of Muslim places of worship with state backing.

The Foreign Office said Indian authorities should be held responsible for actions that, according to Pakistan, undermine the religious freedoms and cultural heritage of minorities, particularly the Muslim community.

The mosque, believed to have been around 150 years old, stood on a 315-square-metre plot inside the Saharanpur Collectorate premises.

The demolition was carried out amid a heavy police presence shortly after a district court backed the administration’s decision, which had classified the mosque as an unauthorised occupation of government property.

The legal proceedings against the structure began following a complaint submitted by Vikas Tyagi, a former provincial coordinator of Bajrang Dal, a Hindu right-wing organisation.

In July, the city magistrate ruled that the mosque constituted an unauthorised occupation and directed those occupying the premises to vacate it within 30 days. The administration also imposed a penalty of approximately ₹6.41 crore on those accused of illegally occupying the government land.

Authorities had declared the mosque unauthorised in July and ordered its removal under proceedings initiated through the Uttar Pradesh Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1972.