Key Points

PAKISTANI PRESIDENT ASIF ALI ZARDARI on Saturday, June 20, 2026 raised concerns over the status of religious Muslim historic sites in India, specifically citing the Ganj Shahida mosque which is slated to be demolished as per a Railways order. Zardari commented on the demolition and removal of many Muslim religious sites in India, which has led to a growing insecurity within minority communities.

Urging the Indian government to halt such activities and ensure the protection of minority rights and shared cultural heritage, the Pakistani President warned that such steps (demolition of Muslim religious sites) could be detrimental to social harmony and stability.

India has opposed Zardari’s statement strongly, terming it as “baseless comments." Ministry of External Affair's (MEA) official spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, responded to a media query in this regard on Saturday, June 20, 2026. “India completely rejects the baseless comments made by the President of Pakistan. In any case, he has no right to comment on India's internal affairs,” Jaiswal stated. 

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“These comments are also absurd because Pakistan has a very poor record in human rights matters, which has been discussed worldwide. Everyone knows Pakistan's long history of systematically targeting and persecuting minorities of different religions,” the MEA spokesperson said. He further added, “Given this truth, the comments of the Pakistani President can only be considered a deliberate political attack.”

Randhir also remarked that such statements are inspired by Pakistan's national policies of fanaticism and hatred.

What is the Ganj Shahida demolition row?

On 12 June, 2026, the Railways administration issued a notice to the Ganj Shahida Mosque situated near the Kashi Railway station, stating that the mosque was “illegally constructed” on Railway-owned land. The notice was issued as a part of the expansion and redevelopment of the Kashi Railway Station.

Railway officials confirmed that the notice was put up on the wall of the mosque. It asks the mosque authorities to vacate the land by June 20, 2026, as per the legal process for the station’s expansion. The notice also warned that if the vacate request isn't fulfilled by the stipulated time, forceful demolition of the Mosque will take place.

Cantt Railway Station Superintendent Arpit Gupta said the move is necessary to clear encroachments around the station for the ongoing expansion and construction work.

What does the mosque committee have to say about the legal notice?

Intezamia Masjid Committee (IMC) is the authority that oversees the Ganj Shahida Masjid. The committee is seeking to challenge the removal order before the supreme court.

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SM Yasin, joint secretary of the IMC, highlighted the historical significance of the religious site whilst speaking to a BBC correspondent. He stated the mosque was built to honor those lost in the freedom struggle many centuries before the Railways even came into existence. 

“This mosque is about a thousand years old. It was built in 1034. It is named Ganj Shahida because many of the people buried here were involved in the freedom struggle. Therefore, it also has historical significance. The railway came in 1887. We are responding to their notice.”

Yasin also stated that the mosque committee has met the District Magistrate who assured that the mosque would not be forcibly demolished.

The Intezamia Masjid Committee asserted that the mosque is clearly mentioned in the settlement map of 1883-84 as well as in earlier maps. The committee clarified that the lawsuit cited in the notice pertains to land lying to the east of the mosque, outside its premises. “This lawsuit had no connection whatsoever with the mosque. This notice is misleading,” the committee stated.

[Edited by : Anshika Verma]

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