Overview
- Pakistan’s Foreign Office called the reported data collection in Indian-administered Kashmir a violation of religious freedom and part of institutionalised Islamophobia.
- Al Jazeera and earlier Indian media reports describe police distributing forms to mosques and madrasas that request sect affiliation, funding sources, land ownership, personal IDs, bank details, social media handles and phone IMEI numbers.
- Religious bodies and opposition figures in Kashmir, including the Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema and Mehbooba Mufti, criticized the exercise as intrusive and discriminatory, while a local BJP spokesman defended it as necessary oversight.
- Islamabad said it will continue to raise the issue internationally and reiterated at the United Nations that Jammu and Kashmir remains a disputed territory under relevant resolutions.
- Rights-group reporting cited in the coverage, including findings by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and India Hate Lab, underscores wider concerns about deteriorating conditions for minorities in India.