‘Disappointing, Condemnable But Not Surprising’: MEA On Zakir Naik’s Pakistan Visit

Conveying India’s ‘disappointment’ over the visit to Pakistan of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the visit as ‘condemnable’ but added it was not ‘surprising.’

MEA spokesperson Randheer Jaiswal made the statement at a press briefing on Friday.

“We have seen reports that he has been fitted into Pakistan and warmly welcomed there,” Jaiswal said, referring to Naik.

“It is not surprising to us that an Indian fugitive has received a high-level welcome in Pakistan. It is disappointing and condemnable but not surprising,” the spokesperson stated further.

Naik, 58, arrived in the neighbouring nation on Tuesday for the month-long tour. He will deliver lectures in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, and Karachi and Lahore, its largest and second-largest cities.

A day after his arrival, he met Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. Also, this is his first visit to that country since 1992.

Naik is wanted in India for alleged money laundering and for inciting ‘extremism’ through ‘hate speeches.’ He fled in 2016 and became a permanent resident of Malaysia.

Also, he runs a channel called ‘Peace TV’ that has been banned by the governments of India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, due to its ‘controversial’ nature. Additionally, Naik has been denied entry into Canada and the United Kingdom.

A vocal critic of the Narendra Modi government, the Islamic preacher targeted it recently over the proposed Waqf amendment bill, saying that if passed by Parliament, the legislation would ‘snatch thousands of mosques, madrasas, graveyards and lakhs of acres of land from Indian Muslims.’

Hitting back, Union minister Kiren Rijiju accused him of spreading ‘false and fake propaganda.’ Rijiu also claimed the latter was trying to create ‘communal disturbances’ in the country.