Karnataka High Court’s ruling on Hijab ban fails to uphold principle of freedom to religious practices: Pak

Islamabad, Mar 15: Pakistan on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the Karnataka High Court's ruling of banning the wearing of hijab by Muslim girls in educational institutions, claiming the decision manifestly has failed to uphold the principle of freedom to religious practices and impinges on the human rights.

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday said Hijab was not part of the essential religious practice in the Islamic faith and effectively upheld the ban against the headscarf in educational institutions in the state by dismissing pleas from Muslim girls seeking nod to wear it in classrooms. A three-judge full bench of the High Court said the prescription of school uniform is only a reasonable restriction, constitutionally permissible which the students cannot object to, even as the aggrieved petitioner Muslim girls said they would continue their legal battle and termed today's order as "unconstitutional."

"The decision manifestly has failed to uphold the principle of freedom to religious practices and impinges on human rights," Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement. "This decision marks a fresh low in the relentless anti-Muslim campaign where even the pretext of secularism is being weaponised to target Muslims," according to FO.

India is losing its 'secular' credentials to the detriment of its minorities, the FO claimed, urging the Indian government to ensure the safety, security and protection of minorities, particularly Muslims, and their right to practice religion. Pakistan also asked the international community, the United Nations and relevant international organisations, to play their role in prevailing upon India to arrest the tide of majoritarianism and discrimination against minorities, it said. PTI