Lahore: Pakistani police have booked over 600 people belonging to the minority Ahmadi community and stopped several others from practising their faith during Eidul Adha, the community members alleged Thursday.
Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Pakistan, an organisation of the minority community, issued a statement here over police action against members of the community on registration of frivolous cases against them including on the charges of blasphemy during this Eid a couple of weeks ago.
“The members of the Ahmadi community cannot even practice their faith within the four walls of their houses in Pakistan. This is also a gross violation of the Supreme Court’s ruling,” the statement said, adding that the incidents of forcefully stopping Ahmadis from sacrificing animals on the occasion of Eid al-Adha increased manifold this year.
“Across Pakistan vigilantes marked houses of Ahmadi community members and police openly supported and aided their efforts. Without any legal authority, these vigilantes attacked Ahmadi community houses, trespassed the premises of various homes, broke into properties, and threatened and manhandled many members.
This atrocity did not end here as police at the behest of these vigilantes registered frivolous cases against members of the Ahmadi community. The majority of Ahmadis were deprived to offer the prayers Eid al-Adha as well, the statement said.
“A police inspector in Gujrat city of Punjab province publicly announced at a mosque’s speaker that it is essential to become a Muslim before slaughtering an animal directly validating the point of extremist vigilantes.
“As many as 613 Ahmadis have been booked whereas seven Ahmadis are arrested in various districts,” the statement said.
According to a Pakistani Constitutional amendment in 1974, Ahmadis were declared to be non-Muslims and the Pakistan Penal Code prevents the community from observing any Islamic rituals.
The Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Pakistan says these gross violations of the human rights of Ahmadis by the extremist vigilantes with the backing of state functionaries, including police, are unfortunate and horrific.
“This is happening in the sacred name of religion, in contrast to what the government of Pakistan states internationally. On one hand, the government is silent on these atrocities at home and on the other it is concerned about similar events of persecution in other countries,” it said.
The organisation demanded that all baseless and frivolous cases against Ahmadis must be dismissed immediately, and all the innocent community members be released without delay.
“Moreover, all the measures be taken to uphold the right of freedom of religion of Ahmadis,” it said.
PTI