A statement issued by the Foreign Office in Islamabad on Saturday, said this blatant intrusion into religious affairs constituted a grave violation of the fundamental right to freedom of religion and belief, and reflected yet another coercive attempt to intimidate and marginalise the Muslim population of the occupied territory.
The forcible collection of personal details, photographs and sectarian affiliations of religious functionaries amounted to systematic harassment, aimed at instilling fear among worshippers and obstructing the free exercise of their faith, the FO statement said.
These actions form part of a broader pattern of institutionalised Islamophobia driven by the Hindutva ideology of the occupying Indian government, the Foreign Office said and added, the selective targeting of mosques and Muslim clergy laid bare the discriminatory and communal character of these policies.
The statement further said the people of Jammu and Kashmir possessed an inalienable right to practise their religion without fear, coercion or discrimination.
Pakistan will continue to stand in solidarity with them and will persist in raising its voice against all forms of religious persecution and intolerance targeting Kashmiris, the Foreign Office concluded.