By Zahid Shah

ISLAMABAD (TSAT) - Pakistan on Sunday strongly condemned the shutting down of education institutions in Indian administered Kashmir by the Indian forces.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said Islamabad strongly condemns the reported shutting down of Darul Uloom Khadija tul Kubra, an educational institute in “Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). 

“The Indian occupation forces gate-crashed Darul Uloom on Friday, insulted and maltreated the female students and forcefully evicted them before sealing the educational institution,” said the Foreign Ministry. 

The Foreign Ministry called the action of the Indian forces a fresh reflection of New Delhi's brutal act to snatch the fundamental rights of Kashmiri girls seeking education.

“It also points towards growing Islamophobia, a phenomenon which is on the surge not only in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) but also in India. 

“Denying Muslim girls access to education, may that be in IIOJK or in Karnataka, is a new low under a far-rightHindutva-inspired regime in India,” said the ministry. 

“Deafening silence of the BJP leadership and absence of discernible action against ‘Hindutva’ proponents must send alarm bells across the international community about the gross and systematic human rights violations being perpetrated by India,” it's further added. 

Islamabad called on the international community to take immediate cognizance of the BJP-RSS's agenda to socially and politically disempower Kashmiris in IIOJK, especially Muslim youth.

The Foreign Ministry also urged the world community including the UN and OIC to take immediate notice of the worrying level of Islamophobia in India and prevail upon Indian authorities to prevent systematic human rights violations against minorities particularly Muslims in the country.

Last month, the southwest Indian state of Karnataka has banned Muslim girls to entered in education institutions in Hijab.

The move caused huge protests across the state and the Indian Hindu nationalist government action criticized it worldwide.