India tears into Pakistan for Waqf Act remarks: ‘No locus standi, abysmal record’

The MEA stated that Pakistan had “no locus standi” to interfere in India’s internal legislative matters and should instead reflect on its own dismal track record on minority rights.

India, on Tuesday, issued a scathing rebuttal to Pakistan’s criticism of the newly enacted Waqf Amendment Act, 2025, slamming Islamabad’s remarks as “motivated and baseless.”

In a sharply worded statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Pakistan had “no locus standi” to interfere in India’s internal legislative matters and should instead reflect on its own dismal track record on minority rights.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, responding to media queries, said, “We strongly reject the motivated and baseless comments made by Pakistan on the Waqf Amendment Act enacted by the Parliament of India. Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on a matter that is internal to India.”

Our response to media queries regarding comments made by Pakistan on Waqf Bill: https://t.co/MOYdvb3it6pic.twitter.com/KwkU2flALr

Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) April 15, 2025

Further snubbing Islamabad, the MEA remarked, “Pakistan would do better to look at its own abysmal record when it comes to protecting the rights of minorities, instead of preaching to others.”

New Delhi's sharp response comes in the wake of the Pakistan Foreign Office's allegation that the amended Waqf law infringes upon the religious and economic rights of Indian Muslims, claiming it could lead to their further marginalisation and dispossession of properties, including mosques and shrines.

Dismissing these claims, India reiterated that the legislation is a sovereign matter and urged Pakistan to focus on addressing the plight of its own minority communities rather than commenting on India’s domestic policies.