Pakistanis often argue that, unlike India, Pakistan has never elected someone like Modi. Let us consider this coolly, calmly, and honestly, now that the war is over. Is Modi really worse than those who rule us? Under Modi’s right-wing Hindu nationalist government, Muslims are still free to practice, profess, and propagate their faith openly and without hindrance in all of India. Modi has not been going around forcing anyone to sign affidavits undertaking not to carry out Qurbani or pray Eid namaz. That is happening under the so-called moderate governments of Shahbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif in Pakistan especially in Punjab. Is the right-wing Hindu bhakt really worse than the common Pakistani?
Throughout the country, lawyers’ bodies have been passing resolutions and writing letters to the authorities asking them to stop Ahmadis from carrying out ritual sacrifice and praying Eid namaz. When it comes to Ahmadis, the majority of Pakistanis are infinitely worse than any RSS cadre or Bhakt. The majority in Pakistan is positively genocidal and without the milk of human kindness whatsoever. Whatever India’s faults and there are many that one criticises them for, there is still some semblance of the rule of law in that country. In Pakistan, it is the naked tyranny of the majority that is brutally treading upon any idea or notion of constitutional fundamental rights.
No reference to history, no constitutional argument, or question of fundamental rights can sway this majority from committing what is an ongoing physical, cultural, and social genocide of Ahmadis in Pakistan. Something is really rotten with the Muslim majority in this country. It was always like this. Pakistan’s Sunni majority always had it in for the Ahmadis. However, before partition, Jinnah papered over these differences by refusing to make theological questions the central focus of Muslim identity. It bears repeating that in 1944 Jinnah scuttled a resolution that had called for the expulsion of Ahmadis from the Muslim League because he understood the constitutional and legal implications of such a regressive move.
Before PMLN came into power, Ahmadis could at least congregate for Eid and Jummah, as is their fundamental right
For this, the religious parties like Majlis-e-Ahrar called Jinnah Kafir-e-Azam or the Great Infidel. In retrospect, maybe he shouldn’t have because doing so created a false hope that a Muslim majority can be civil and accepting of theological difference, a hope that died with Jinnah or soon afterward. In February 1943, Jinnah had said “Which government claiming to be a civilised government can demolish a mosque or which government is going to interfere with religion which is strictly a matter between God”.
Today, Pakistan’s uncivilised governments demolish more places of worship than any other country in the world, including India. Later Jinnah said: “Even now there are some States in existence where there are discriminations made and bars imposed against a particular class. Thank God we are not starting in those days. We are starting in the days when there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste or creed and another.” Pakistan of 2025, however is precisely one of those states, indeed the worst offender in the world.
Nevertheless, Pakistan’s Constitution under Article 20 promises that “every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice and propagate his religion”. Ordinance XX of 1984 denies this fundamental right to Ahmadis. Those who argue in favour of Ordinance XX, say that this fundamental right is subject to the law. Even so, the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the Tahir Naqqash case held that the Constitution and law may declare Ahmadis Non-Muslims, but they are citizens of Pakistan and have the right to profess, practice, and propagate their religion within places of worship and homes. Lahore High Court in one of its judgments held that Ahmadi places of worship built before 1984 cannot be demolished. This is the law. These judgments are simply disregarded. Ahmadi places of worship (which cannot be called mosques under the unjust law of 1984) are routinely demolished and Ahmadis are denied the fundamental freedom of even praying in congregation within their places of worship.
This violates not just Article 20, but also Article 2A which makes Objective Resolution a substantive part of the Pakistani constitution. The Objectives Resolution states: “Wherein adequate provision shall be made for the minorities to freely profess and practice their religions and develop their cultures”. Ahmadis have been declared a minority through the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. The dumbest argument forwarded by the apologists for the persecution is that Ahmadis don’t accept their minority status. This argument is neither here nor there. Ahmadis believe that they are Muslims, but the constitution has declared them a Muslim minority and that is the legal position, though offensive to the very idea of the right to self-identify. That they think they are Muslims is a god-given, inalienable right that no temporal authority can take from them.
In this, they are protected by the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which are binding on the Pakistani state under International Law. These unassailable academic, constitutional, and international law arguments don’t matter to a lawless, tyrannical, and oppressive majority in Pakistan. There is no one in the country that has the moral courage to rein in Pakistan’s bigoted majority and the state is a willing partner in this persecution. On top of that is the targeted killing of Ahmadis which is growing by the day, with the brutal killings of Laeeq Cheema in Karachi and Dr Mahmood Shaikh in Sargodha being the most recent ones. Let us call a spade a spade. This is ethnic cleansing and genocide.
Coming back to our “moderate” rulers, the situation was extremely bad under PTI’s government from 2018-2022, but PMLN has taken it to a whole new level. Before PMLN came into power, Ahmadis could at least congregate for Eid and Jummah, as is their fundamental right. PMLN has taken that right away and has given it official sanction. In Punjab, the mastermind behind this seems to be Captain Safdar, a bigot without a mask. Nevertheless, it is the Chief Minister who must be held responsible. Maryam Nawaz Sharif is an enabler of genocide. So is Shahbaz Sharif, who has failed to act, despite vociferous appeals. Are they better than Modi? Not by a long shot. The conduct of Pakistan’s Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of its largest province in this matter is nothing less criminal.