By 
26-7-2024
Eleni Patlaka
Pakistan Researcher,
Global Human Rights Defence
Despite the recent resolution of the Pakistan National Assembly urging the protection of all citizens, including religious minorities, Ahmadis continue to face systematic discrimination, arbitrary arrests and violent attacks.
Amnesty International has documented numerous cases of human rights abuses against Ahmadis, including arbitrary arrests, detention, and harassment by police, particularly during the middle of June, i.e., the period from June 10th to June 19th, 2024. During this time, 36 cases of arbitrary arrests were reported in Punjab, with police scaling walls and entering homes without lawful authority to prevent Ahmadis from performing religious rites such as the sacrificial animal slaughter during Eid ul-Azha (Amnesty International, 2024).
The United Nations has also raised concerns over the escalating violence and discrimination against the Ahmadiyya community, citing specific incidents such as the extrajudicial killing of two Ahmadis in Saad Ullah Pur on July 8th, 2024, and the murder of the president of the Ahmadiyya community in Bahawalpur district on March 4th, 2024. Additionally, there have been numerous attacks on Ahmadi places of worship and cemeteries (DAWN, 2024). These acts are often fueled by hate speech and incitement from groups like Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a far-right religious political party known for its anti-Ahmadi rhetoric (Gul, 2024).
The incidents highlight the urgent need for Pakistan to uphold the fundamental rights of all its citizens and to take definitive action against discrimination and violence against the Ahmadiyya community.
Sources and further reading:
Amnesty International. (2024, June 21). Escalating attacks on minority Ahmadiyya community must end in Pakistan. Amnesty International. Accessed 26/07/2024 <https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/06/end-escalating-attacks-on-minority-ahmadiyya-community/>.
Dawn. (2024, July 25). UN experts urge halt to violence against Ahmadis in Pakistan. DAWN.COM. Accessed 26/07/2024 <https://www.dawn.com/news/1847939/un-experts-urge-halt-to-violence-against-ahmadis-in-pakistan>.
Gul, A. (2024, June 8). Gunmen kill 2 members of Pakistan’s Ahmadi minority. Voice of America. Accessed 26/07/2024 <https://www.voanews.com/a/gunmen-kill-2-members-of-pakistan-s-ahmadi-minority/7648574.html>.
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