ISLAMABAD: After a young headscarf-clad Muslim student was heckled and jeered at by a Hindu mob in the southwestern state of Karnataka, a minister said “one Muslim woman exposed” the politics and the treatment meted out to the largest religious minority in India.
The video of Muskan, a second-year student at a local college, confronting the mob — members of which were carrying saffron shawls — and retaliating by shouting back Allah-o-Akbar (Allah is the greatest) went viral on social media.
A hijab-wearing student at PES College in Mandya, after being heckled with ‘Jai Sri Ram’ slogans, retorted by saying Allahu Akbar or Allah is great.
Meanwhile, the college management tried to resolve the matter.#Karnataka #hijabhttps://t.co/4eqkTBa6ko pic.twitter.com/KHO9sv7Civ
— Express Bengaluru (@IEBengaluru) February 8, 2022
The mob had gathered outside the college on Tuesday demanding a ban on what it called Islamic attire, including hijab and burqa, at the campus, the Indian Express reported.
Muskan “effectively exposed the face of Indian extremism before the entire world,” said Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.
He said the increment in the salaries of security forces as announced by the prime minister will come into force from March.
“I have also requested the prime minister to increase the pay of civil servants,” he said.
Further speaking on the opposition’s plan to bring a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan, Ahmed said any such attempt would be foiled just as recently opposition senators voted in favour of the State Bank autonomy legislation.
“First take care of your lawmakers who could jump the ship on our signal,” he said, and added if the opposition benches had the guts to table a no-confidence motion, they would have done it on the first day Khan assumed office.
“I even do not even see them coming to Islamabad [for the anti-inflation protest] on March 23,” he said.
He said that the next two months are important in national politics as the interior minister of Iran will be visiting Pakistan on February 14 while the prime minister will also be visiting Russia after a follow-up visit to China.
He further shared the activity in the opposition’s ranks was owing to cases against Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz that are now moving towards their logical conclusion.
Further speaking on Senator Faisal Vawda’s disqualification, he expressed hope the lawmaker would use his legal options and approach Supreme Court against the decision.
Rasheed said the network of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) offices were being expanded to the far-flung areas of the country. As many as 13 passport offices were being set up in interior Sindh alone, he added.
Similarly, he said a succession certificate would also be introduced in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Balochistan regions.
Responding to a question, he said Pakistan enjoyed good relations with the Taliban government and the group won’t let anyone use Afghanistan’s soul against Pakistan.
He said the police has started mobile service.
To a query, the minister said corruption cases being pursued by NAB were pending before the courts for a long time. However, he expressed the hope that 70 mega cases would be settled before the coming general elections.
