New Wave Of Violence Targets Pakistan’s Ahmadi Community
KARACHI, Pakistan — On April 18, members of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, a far-right Islamist populist political party, killed a 46-year-old Ahmadi Muslim man named Laeeq Ahmad Cheema outside an Ahmadiyya hall in Karachi.
Six days later, on April 24, armed extremists targeted two Ahmadi youngsters, Muhammad Asif and Ehsan Ahmad, in Punjab. Asif, a 19-year-old student, was fatally shot, while Ehsan got severe wounds.
These acts are not isolated instances, but part of a larger pattern of persecution and marginalization that Ahmadis have systematically endured in Pakistan for decades.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad founded the Ahmadiyya community in 1889, claiming to be the foretold Messiah and Mahdi in Islam. However, many Muslims do not accept these arguments, resulting in a theological division.
The Pakistani government has enacted a series of laws and ordinances that restrict Ahmadi religious practices, including Ordinance XX of 1984, which prohibits them from professing or promoting their faith during the regime of Gen. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and is intended to prohibit the practice of Islam as well as the use of Islamic terms and titles by the Ahmadiyya Community. That came after the 1974 constitutional second amendment declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims during the government of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Farnood Alam, a journalist, said of the ongoing situation: “When you declare someone non-Muslim constitutionally, then legal declarations of non-Muslim status can legitimize discriminatory attitudes, making it easier for persecution to take hold.”
He also expressed concerns about blasphemy charges, where accusations frequently result in mob violence and extrajudicial deaths.
“In blasphemy cases, the perception that a person deserves death can become ingrained in the collective mindset, leading ordinary individuals to subconsciously accept violence as a legitimate response, whether carried out by the public or the judiciary,” he said.
The declaration of Ahmadis as non-Muslims had a similar impact. As Alam noted, “In the same way when the Ahmadis were considered non-Muslim, then the people who used to persecute them got the validation that they were not doing wrong.”
The Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan has long experienced significant constraints on its religious practices. From not being allowed to call their places of worship “mosques” or use Islamic terms such as “Azan” (call to prayer) to not being able to vote because Ahmadis must either renounce their faith or agree to be placed on a separate electoral list categorizing them as “non-Muslim.”
According to figures in the National Commission For Human Rights, NCHR Report, the Ahmadiyya community suffers from extensive human rights violations as a result of constitutional constraints. Between 1984 and September 2023, Ahmadis faced 765 cases for exhibiting the Kalima, 47 for calling Azan and 861 for preaching. Blasphemy charges, for example, have been filed against 334 Ahmadis.
The community has experienced considerable violence — with 280 members dead and 415 assaulted for their faith. 51 places of worship have been demolished, 46 sealed, and 39 damaged or burned down. Even graves have not been spared, with 99 desecrated and 39 bodies exhumed.
While there have been different waves of persecution of Ahmadis, there has recently been a new wave of persecution targeting Ahmadis for practicing their Friday prayers. In Karachi, a recent incident sparked widespread concern where a man was killed for doing so. It was not an isolated case. There have been other instances where complaints were filed against Ahmadis in different parts of Pakistan, including Sialkot, Sargodha, Surjani, Karachi and Lahore, for performing prayers in specifically designated areas set aside for their community.
Aamir Mehmood, spokesperson for the Ahmadi community, said since being deemed non-Muslims, “the community has faced numerous forms of marginalization, including difficulties obtaining employment and education. Ahmadis have faced violence, arrests, and harassment simply for being Ahmadi.”
He pointed out that, despite various forms of persecution, they have not been able to abandon practicing their beliefs.
“A new wave of persecution has begun, led by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, for preventing Ahmadis from doing their prayers, particularly Friday prayers,” he added. “The TLP has been pressuring authorities to file FIRs against Ahmadis and arrest them for practicing their religion.”
Although Article 20 of the Pakistani Constitution guarantees the freedom of belief and religion, the restrictions imposed on the Ahmadi community, which hinder them from freely following their beliefs, appear to violate this fundamental right.
A 70-year-old Ahmadi man, who did not want to be identified for safety reasons, was arrested in February for practicing Friday prayers. The complaint against the father of four was for blasphemy because the prayers were perceived to be Muslim, resulting in the arrest of the Ahmadi man and 21 others.
“We were detained merely for following our beliefs,” the man said.
The lower court rejected bail, compelling the accused to file an appeal. When that appeal was also denied, the case went to the country’s High Court, where bail was eventually granted after the man had spent more than a month in detention.
“Spending Ramadan and Eid in jail was a difficult experience,” he said. “It was a time for spiritual reflection and celebration with family, but we were denied that freedom.”
In another case, Dr. Tahir Mahmood, a homeopathic doctor and president of the local Ahmadi community chapter in Malir's Khokrapar Colony, was arrested along with another person for performing Friday prayers. A complaint was registered against him on March 10.
Mahmood, 71, died in custody, something the Ahmadi community has strongly condemned.
“With the passage of time, persecution is increasing day by day,” a member of the Ahmadi community said. “They're targeting our every move, every action, every word. … If they can challenge our prayer, they will soon target our greetings and way of life. What should we do then?”
Jamaima Afridi is a dedicated freelance journalist from Pakistan who focuses on topics such as women's issues, religious freedom, climate change and refugees. Recognized nationally and internationally, she earned acclaim for her impactful storytelling, winning awards like the Lorenzo Natali Prize, #TFYoungJournalist and the Youth Impact Award for her contributions to human rights and religious freedom.