By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD– Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed "deep concern" over the demolition of and threats to historic Muslim religious sites in India, including the nearly 1,000-year-old Masjid Ganj Shaheeda in Varanasi, warning that such actions risk "the disintegration and perennial chaos of India".

In a statement posted on the official X account of the President of Pakistan, Zardari urged Indian authorities to immediately halt such actions and called for the protection of minority rights and shared cultural heritage . His remarks come as the centuries-old mosque in Varanasi faces demolition after being served a notice by the railway administration, which claims the structure occupies railway land . The mosque management has dismissed the notice as illegal and "fake," noting the absence of any official signature, stamp, or date, and asserting that the mosque predates the railway's existence .

Zardari's intervention highlights a pattern of targeting Muslim religious sites across India. According to a report by the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights, 69 Islamic religious sites were either bulldozed or declared illegal in 2025 alone.

Many of these demolitions have been triggered by complaints filed by activists and individuals who have labeled these structures as "illegal" or part of a purported "land jihad," a narrative amplified across sections of media and political campaigns.

The legal framework behind these actions has been criticized for relying on a controversial judicial precedent from the 1994 Ismail Faruqui case, which held that "a mosque is not an essential part of the practice of the religion of Islam". This observation, critics argue, has been weaponized by state authorities to justify arbitrary action against mosques and Islamic institutions. In several instances, demolitions have occurred without prior notice or even before a full investigation.

The mosque demolitions are part of a broader pattern of actions impacting India's Muslim minority. Reports of hate speech have become increasingly common, with recent threats directed at Muslim women and even unborn children.

In West Bengal, the BJP-led state government has ordered a crackdown on undocumented Muslim migrants, implementing a "detect, delete, and deport" policy that has targeted people on the basis of their religious identity.

According to a report by India Persecution Tracker, Hindu extremists killed thirteen Muslims in eight Indian states in the first four months of this year.