Key Points:
- Deputy Prime Minister termed the incident deeply disturbing
- Calls for the protection of minority rights
- A viral video showed the CM removing the veil of a Muslim woman doctor
- International rights groups described the act as a violation of religious freedom
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday condemned an incident in India’s Bihar state involving the disrespect of a Muslim woman, describing the act as “shameful” and calling for the protection of minority rights.
Terming the act as reprehensible and extremely disturbing, he said such acts underscore the imperative to safeguard minority rights and to address the troubling rise of Islamophobia.
“Respect for women and religious beliefs must remain fundamental and non-negotiable principles in every society,” he said in a post on X.
The shameful incident involving the disrespect of a Muslim woman in Bihar is reprehensible and extremely disturbing.
Such acts underscore the imperative to safeguard minority rights and to address the troubling rise of Islamophobia. Respect for women and religious beliefs must… https://t.co/19NbkYordo— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) December 17, 2025
It may be recalled that a storm of international criticism has erupted after a video surfaced showing Bihar Chief Minister (CM) Nitish Kumar removing the veil of a Muslim woman doctor during an official government function in Patna, triggering outrage over religious freedom, women’s dignity, and the conduct of public officials.
The incident occurred at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat during a ceremony to distribute appointment letters to newly recruited Ayush doctors.
As Dr Nusrat Parveen stepped forward to receive her appointment letter, her face was covered in a veil. In footage that has since gone viral, the 74-year-old chief minister is seen reaching out from the dais and pulling down her veil, a moment that left the doctor visibly uncomfortable before an official escorted her away.
A case has already been registered against Nitish Kumar, an ally of the Indian ruling party BJP, in Patna, for allegedly removing the veil of a Muslim woman.
According to Indian media reports, the case was filed by Samia Rana, a leader of the Samajwadi Party, in Lucknow.
Global rights organisations have described the incident as a serious violation of personal autonomy and religious freedom. International watchdogs said the public removal of a woman’s religious attire by a senior state official amounted to an assault on her dignity and identity, warning that such acts risk normalising discrimination against religious minorities.
