‘India’s Citizenship Bill Premised On Falsehood,’ Says Pakistan After Lok Sabha Clears CAB

Pakistan alleged that the Bill is in complete contravention of various bilateral agreements between the two neighbours, particularly the one concerning security and rights of minorities in the respective countries.

Pak Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal Image: ANI

New Delhi: The passage of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill in the lower house of India’s Parliament, has elicited a peeved response from Pakistan which termed the Bill as a “discriminatory legislation” and said that it is “premised on a falsehood.” It said that the Bill is in complete contravention of various bilateral agreements between the two neighbours, particularly the one concerning security and rights of minorities in the respective countries. The Foreign Office of the country issued a statement and said that the latest legislation, which offers Indian nationality to the nationals of Pakistan and two other South Asian countries except Muslims, passed by the Indian Lok Sabha, is "premised on a falsehood and is in complete violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international Covenants on elimination of all forms of discrimination based on religion or belief." "We condemn the legislation as regressive and discriminatory, which is in violation of all relevant international conventions and norms, and a glaring attempt by India to interfere in the neighbouring countries with malafide intent," the statement read. Meanwhile, a federal US commission on international religious freedom has said that the Citizenship Amendment Bill is a "dangerous turn in wrong direction" and sought American sanctions against Home Minister Amit Shah if the bill is passed by both houses of the Indian Parliament.