March 15, 2025
By Xari Jalil
LAHORE
After a series of incidents targeting the Ahmadiyya community in different districts, on Saturday, March 15, an unruly crowd staged a sit-in in the rural area of a 71 south Sargodha, demanding the sealing of an Ahmadi place of worship. They also demanded the registration of a case against the community for conducting Friday prayers. Police were also present during the protest.
In the past few weeks – especially since the beginning of Ramzan – violent and threatening actions have been taken by extremists to prevent Ahmadis from performing Friday prayers continue in Pakistan, particularly in Punjab and Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK).
On Friday, in the AJK area Tata Pani, a group of individuals belonging to the far-right hard line religio-political party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) filed a first information report (FIR) at the local police station. The eight complainants were led by the TLP Amir of the area, Faisal Shipla.
In the FIR, the group called themselves ‘patriotic’ and said they were ‘disturbed and upset’ over Ahmadis offering Friday prayers. They citing Articles 106 and 260 of the Constitution of Pakistan, and said that though Ahmadis are referred to as ‘non-Muslims’ they still offered prayers on Friday and Eid, which ‘hurts the sentiments of Muslims’. They added that this was in violation of several court decisions, and laws. Under 298-B and C Ahmadis cannot pose as Muslims, said the FIR.
They also invoked the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s decision in 1993 SC MR 1718, the use of the Kalima Tayyaba (Islamic declaration of faith) and Islamic symbols by Qadiani accused falls under the category of blasphemy (Section 295).
The complainants blamed any law and order situation throughout the region because of the ‘wave of anger among the people due to these illegal actions by Ahmadis’.
They said that in order to maintain peace in the area, the Ahmadiyya community must be stopped from using Islamic symbols.
Previously the TLP attacked an Ahmadi man while he was working at his shop. The FIR was filed after that and later a protest was also held.
Government silence is questionable
Meanwhile the Ahmadi community spokesperson has said that preventing Ahmadis from performing their religious duties according to their faith is a clear violation of human rights.
“The government administration should take legal action against the handful of extremists inciting violence,” said Amir Mehmood, spokesperson of the community.
Bhagtanwala, Sargodha: Sit-in by TLP demanding a case against Ahmadis
Protest in Faisalabad
Likewise on March 13, TLP activists collected in Faisalabad’s Aminpur Bazaar area. They called for the district administration to ‘come to its senses and immediately stop the violation of Islamic symbols.’
They threatened the admin that only a handful of TLP supporters had shown up for now, but if pushed, thousands more would emerge.
“If the administration engages in any ‘thuggery’ today, then, God willing, the TLP workers will decide the fate of this “cesspool” today,” they said.
Faisalabad: TLP goons giving threats of violence to authorities and the Ahmadi community
For the past few weeks, extremist elements in Pakistan, especially in Punjab, have been besieging Ahmadi places of worship, inciting violence, and attempting to prevent Ahmadis from conducting Friday prayers and to have their places of worship sealed. However the silence on part of the authorities, especially with regards to providing safety to the Ahmadi community has been questionable.
On February 28, cases were registered against dozens of Ahmadis in Daska (Sialkot) and Bhagtanwala (Sargodha) and on March 7 in Surjani Town, Karachi, for conducting Friday prayers, resulting in the arrest of 28 Ahmadis.
On March 13th, in 209 GB, District Faisalabad, extremists attacked an Ahmadi place of worship in the morning, opened fire, and physically assaulted Ahmadis present there.
On March 14th, extremists chanted provocative slogans outside Ahmadi places of worship in Faisalabad, Layyah, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Sialkot, and other locations.
Spokesperson of the Ahmadiyya community Pakistan, Amir Mahmood, condemned the extremist actions to illegally seal Ahmadi places of worship and prevent Ahmadis from worshiping according to their faith. He stated that according to Article 20 of the Constitution of Pakistan, every Pakistani citizen has the right to practice their faith. The spokesperson said that the actions of mischievous elements to prevent peaceful and patriotic Pakistanis from worshiping are damaging the positive image of the country.
The spokesperson said that such increasing aggressive actions by an extremist group and demands for the registration of baseless cases against the peaceful Ahmadi community are causing international embarrassment through these extra-legal actions.
The spokesperson demanded that the citizens and responsible authorities reject the extremist mindset of a handful of mischievous individuals and ensure the human rights of Pakistani Ahmadis.