The National Commission for Human Rights expressed deep concern over the violation of human rights of Ahmadis in Pakistan
The federal and provincial governments should take immediate and effective measures to protect the lives and property of Ahmadis.
May 15, 2024
By Xari Jalil
LAHORE
In a recently launched report by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), violent crimes and discrimination against the Ahmadis living in Pakistan has been pointed out, with the commission expressing deep concern over the increasing attacks, the desecration of Ahmadi places of worship and graveyards, and the general attitude towards the Ahmadi community at societal and state level both.
It is the first such report with its focus on the Ahmadi community that has been released in Pakistan. It has been based on several written complaints from the Ahmaddiya Jamaat about the violation of basic human rights of Ahmadis across Pakistan and attacks on their places of worship and graves. In its report the commission has gone as far as to say that these incidents of violation of human rights make it clear that the Ahmadiyya community is the most discriminated and prejudiced in the country.
(It should be noted that the National Commission for Human Rights is an independent body which has been established in the Parliament of Pakistan under the National Commission for Human Rights Act in 2012. The main purpose of establishing this commission is to protect human rights.)
Work on the report began in September 2023, when three members of the commission visited Rabwah, to investigate the complaints made by the Jamaat-e-Ahmaddiya of human rights violations and especially of violence against the community. Several community members met with the commission representatives.
The 21 page report shows data regarding the persecution of Ahmadis, and the attacks on their places of worship of in 2023 have been described in full detail. Also, the complaints and petitions filed by Ahmadiyya Jamaat in the year 2022 and 2023 have also been briefly mentioned. A list of attacks on Ahmadi places of worship in the year 2023 has also been published, according to which the police detonated minarets at several places.
The commission has given 14 recommendations to the Government of Pakistan.
1. The government should give everyone the freedom to practice and publish their religion according to Article 20 of the Constitution in terms of religious freedom.
2. The government should take all possible steps to ensure that all minorities, including Ahmadis, enjoy the same basic human rights as other Pakistani citizens. Similarly, the government should devise a system under which the safety of the Ahmadi community should be ensured. This system should work with the support of other institutions that ensure the establishment of public order.
3. The names and addresses of Ahmadis being included in the separate voter list pose a serious threat to the lives of Ahmadis and the display of these lists in public places puts the Ahmadiyya community in danger. Just like the names of other minorities are included.
4. Government should give equal opportunity to all minorities in jobs.
5. The government must fulfill its obligations under international human rights treaties and ensure religious freedom, which is guaranteed under the ICCPR. In addition, it is important to enact laws that provide equal rights to all citizens. and protect them without discrimination of religion.
6. The government should take strict action against elements spreading hatred against Ahmadis.
7. The government should take effective action against those who preach hatred and extremism in educational institutions.
8. The Federal and Provincial Ministers of Education should take steps to ensure that Ahmadi students are not discriminated against in educational institutions and hostels.
9. Comprehensive reforms should be made in the education sector and tolerance should be made a part of the curriculum. A diverse society can be created by educating the young generation.
10. The government should take timely and impartial legal action against those who attack and threaten Ahmadis. Public order should be ensured through timely administrative and legal measures and the government should take effective action against those who desecrate Ahmadiyya places of worship and graveyards.
11. The capacity of the police should be increased to take effective action in the cases of minorities.
12. In light of Supreme Court’s Tasadduq Jilani case of 2014, a special police force should be established to protect the places of worship of minorities. Attacks on places of worship can be stopped. The training of this force should give priority to religious tolerance, community sensitivity and all other challenges faced by minorities.
13. An awareness campaign should be conducted at the national level in which a culture based on tolerance and respect for other religions should be promoted. The purpose of these campaigns should be to motivate the people on how to live with tolerance.
14. The government should take strict action against hate speech and writing against Ahmadis on mainstream media and social media.
CASES
Among those met by the NCHR team was Tariq, a resident of Nankana Sahib who had relocated to Rabwah for safety reasons. During the meeting, Tariq shared a harrowing incident where he and his son, a recent returnee to Pakistan after completing his MBBS abroad, were attacked while going to offer prayers. Tragically, a teenager opened fire on them, resulting in the immediate death of Tariq’s young son, Tahir, and leaving Tariq with severe injuries. The court, acknowledging the gravity of the offense, had sentenced the assailant to life imprisonment.
In his plea to the NCHR team, Tariq requested intervention with the government to implement administrative measures aimed at protecting individuals like him and his son from future assailants. His heartfelt plea underscored the urgent need for preventive measures to ensure that no one is killed due to targeted hatred and violence.
Similarly, a woman Myra shared a story about her father’s murder in Rabwah, by a follower of an extremist organization. The accused stabbed him to death on 8 August, 2022 and case is under progress. Myra was frustrated by the delay in the case and expressed hope that timely hearings of the case would be scheduled to dispense justice to the family.
STATISTICS
The report showed that Ahmadis face an astonishing number of legal charges – 765 cases for displaying the kalma, 47 cases for calling the azaan, 861 cases for preaching, and various others. Even celebrations of events, like the Ahmadiyya Centenary in 1989 or the 100 years’ anniversary of the eclipses in 1894, have been met with legal repercussions, exemplifying the extent of restrictions on their religious freedoms.
There are also criminal cases being reported on blasphemy charges under PPC 295-C, with 334 Ahmadis facing such criminal charges. Entire populations, such as Rabwah, the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Community, and Ahmadis in Kotli, have faced collective legal actions, reflecting the systemic discrimination embedded in the legal system.
The statistics of human rights violations provided by the community from 1984 to September 2023 show that 280 Ahmadis have lost their lives due to targeted violence, and an additional 415 have faced assaults because of their faith. The assault on the religious identity of Ahmadis is evident in the demolition of 51 Ahmadiyya worship places and the sealing of 46 others by authorities. Furthermore, 39 worship places have been set on fire or damaged, and 18 forcibly occupied, revealing a systematic effort to eradicate spaces of worship integral to the community.
The authorities have also obstructed the construction of 62 Ahmadiyya worship places, reinforcing institutional discrimination. The violation extends to the sanctity of the deceased, with 39 bodies of Ahmadis exhumed after burial, and burial denied in a common cemetery for 96 individuals. Disturbingly, 99 Ahmadi graves have been desecrated and damaged in the current year alone, emphasizing the nature of the assault on their dignity, even in death according to various reports.
The 64 incidents of removal of the kalma from the homes and shops of Ahmadis and 115 incidents of removal from their worship places, further underscores deep-seated discrimination and intolerance in their daily lives. These statistics highlight the urgent need for concerted efforts to address and rectify the systematic and grave violations faced by the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan.
It is noteworthy that there are a limited number of Ahmadis detained in jail under the Blasphemy Law, indicating a lack of due legal process. This suggests that they have primarily fallen victim to vigilante actions carried out by frenzied mobs rather than the due process of law.