ISLAMABAD, Oct 19: Condemning the mistreatment of religious minorities in India, Chief of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (Apma) and member of National Assembly Shahbaz Bhatti has called upon the United Nations (UN) to ensure protection of lives and properties of minorities in India.

“Gross treatment being meted out to religious minorities in India is a cause of deep concern for all peace-loving people in Pakistan and across the world,” said Mr Bhatti in a statement issued on Sunday.

The Apma chief was critical of fresh anti-minorities wave that had rendered already marginalised and less-privileged minorities communities insecure and uncertain.

He said he was shocked to learn about the setting ablaze of a Muslim family’s home by extremist Hindus in recent past.

He condemned violence against minorities including attacks on Christians and torching of churches in India.

Targeting of minorities communities in India which has become a norm of the day is diametrically opposite to Indian rulers’ claims of secularism, Mr Bhatti said.

Lamenting over killing of several Indian Christians, he said the Hindu extremists have also torched dozens of churches and missionary institutions.

Owing to rising victimisation of religious minorities of India, he maintained that over 50,000 Christians had been forced to take shelter in refugee camps.

He condemned incidents involving rapes and torture of Indian church leaders and nuns. “You cannot go on claiming to be secular, democratic and liberal if minorities in your country continue to be victimised, threatened, harassed and pressured,” said the Apma chief while pointing to India, whose treatment of its minorities has become miserable than ever.

He called for immediate cessation of victimisation of Indian minorities at the hands of fanatic elements and political groups.

He said the incidents of manhandling, hurling of threats, attacks on lives and properties of people and brazen attacks on the places of worship in India had left him deeply concerned about religious minorities in India. “While violence continues in Orissa, on Indias east coast, anti-Christian extremists have unleashed another wave of attacks on Christians in Karnataka, a state on Indias west coast.

At the same time, churches are under attack in Jharkand and other states,” he regretted, adding that violence against minorities in India has surged as the fanatic and extremist elements have gone unpunished.