Pakistan on Thursday criticised Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar for forcibly removing the 'naqab' or veil of a young Muslim doctor, describing the act as "deeply disturbing."
Addressing the weekly press briefing, foreign office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi urged all stakeholders in India to "recognise the seriousness" of the incident.
"The forcible removal of a Muslim woman's hijab by a senior political leader and the subsequent public ridicule of this act are deeply disturbing and warrant strong condemnation," he said.
Andrabi added that the action "risks normalising the humiliation of Muslim women" in India.
The Human Rights Council of Pakistan described Kumar's action as "unacceptable" and demanded an immediate, transparent and impartial investigation.
It also called on the United Nations and international human rights organisations to take strong notice of the incident.
In a post on X, Pakistan's Punjab province information minister Azma Bokhari said the conduct of the Bihar CM has "once again reminded us of the two-nation theory."
She shared two videos, one showing Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz honouring a female officer and the other showing Kumar removing a Muslim doctor's naqab.
Bihar health minister Mangal Pandey on Thursday said he was not aware of reports that a female doctor had refused to join duty following the incident in which Kumar was seen publicly removing the veil from her face.
"I have no such information," Pandey said when journalists asked about reports that Ayush doctor Nusrat Parveen, who hails from Kolkata, had declined the government job after the incident.
Parveen was among ten Ayush doctors who had turned up at the chief minister's secretariat on Monday to receive their letters of appointment.
When her turn came, the 75-year-old CM pointed towards her veil and pulled it down, exposing her face.
The incident triggered widespread criticism, including from several West Asian countries, with Kumar facing allegations of disrespecting Muslim traditions.
A senior BJP leader sought to put a lid on the controversy by asserting that the ruling NDA in the state has always worked for the empowerment of women.
Pandey insisted, "Women have always been respected by our CM, who has made huge efforts for the empowerment of Matri Shakti."
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Raju Nayyar filed a complaint against Kumar and Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Nishad before a local court in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district for allegedly "hurting religious sentiments of Muslim women" by removing the veil from the doctor’s face.
In his complaint, Nayyar sought registration of an FIR against them. The court is scheduled to hear the matter on 18 January, 2026.
Nishad had sparked controversy by publicly defending Kumar over the incident.
