Have taken up with Pakistan reports of minorities' persecution: India

India has taken up with Pakistan reports of persecution of minority groups, including Hindus, in that country and been told by Islamabad that it looks after the welfare of all its citizens, particularly the minority community, parliament was told Wednesday.

Minister of State for External Affairs Gen V. K. Singh (retd.), to a question in the Lok Sabha on "atrocities against Hindus" in other countries, said that the government has from time to time come across reports of problems being faced by minority community members in foreign countries, including minority Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh, through media, NGOs and human rights organizations.

"These members of the minority community are primarily citizens of those countries and are not Indian citizens. We do not have confirmed information about the exact number of such alleged atrocities," he said, according to an official statement.

He said that it is the primary responsibility of the respective foreign governments to look after their minority communities.

Following reports of persecution of minority groups in Pakistan, the government took up the matter with Pakistan and "Pakistan has stated that it is fully cognizant of the situation and looks after the welfare of all its citizens, particularly the minority community".

Bangladesh has been told that such incidents "have an adverse impact on public sentiments in India, which, in turn, have the potential of affecting bilateral ties, and should be strictly dealt with".

"The government of Bangladesh has conveyed that it is committed to safeguarding minority rights; that many of the incidents are not communal in nature and arise from disputes of a political or private nature and that stern action would be taken against the culprits," he stated.

No agreement has been signed or is proposed to be signed by the Indian government with these foreign governments in the matter, he said.