India has blocked access to Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s X (formerly Twitter) account within the country. This action comes following the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly condemned Pakistan for warmly welcoming Naik during his ongoing month-long visit to the neighbouring country.
Zakir Naik, a wanted by Indian authorities for charges of money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speech, arrived in Pakistan earlier this week on an official invitation from the government. The Indian government’s swift move to block Naik’s social media account highlights the growing diplomatic strain between New Delhi and Islamabad, following Naik’s high-profile reception in Pakistan.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed India’s dismay at the Pakistani government’s decision to host Naik, saying, ‘We have seen reports that Zakir Naik has been feted in Pakistan. He has been warmly welcomed there’. Jaiswal added, ‘It is not surprising for us that an Indian fugitive has received a high-level welcome in Pakistan. It is something which is disappointing and condemnable but at the same time it is not surprising’.
India has long sought Naik’s extradition due to his alleged involvement in promoting extremism. However, Naik continues to evade Indian authorities and has been living in Malaysia since 2016, after legal proceedings were initiated against him in India. Zakir Naik’s visit to Pakistan has further strained relations between the two countries, with India questioning the legitimacy of Naik’s presence in Pakistan. In response to queries about Naik’s passport, Jaiswal remarked that India is unclear about the document Naik used to travel to Pakistan.
During his month-long visit, Naik has been granted a red-carpet welcome and has held high-level meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar. The radical preacher is also scheduled to deliver a series of public speeches in major cities such as Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore, raising concerns over the potential spread of his extremist rhetoric. Zakir Naik has been on India’s radar for several years due to his provocative speeches that promote extremism and radicalization. The controversy surrounding Nail escalated following the 2016 Dhaka terror attack, where one of the perpetrators admitted to being influenced by Naik’s sermons on You Tube.
This revelation led to heightened scrutiny of Naik’s activities, culminating in Indian authorities filing multiple charges against him, including money laundering and hate speech. India revoked Naik’s passport and requested his extradition from Malaysia, where he has been residing since 2016. Despite various requests, Malaysia has yet to respond to India’s demands.
However, Naik has continued to operate his television channel Peace TV and actively engages with his followers through social media platforms, including X, where his content has sparked widespread criticism. Previously India has taken strict actions against Zakir naik with inciting terror and promoting enmity between religious groups. The agency also seized his properties in Mumbai, including his educational institutions, as part of a crackdown on his operations.
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