Pakistani Political Heavyweight Fazlur Rehman Employs Anti-Ahmadi Card To Attack Imran

Pakistani Political Heavyweight Fazlur Rehman Employs Anti-Ahmadi Card To Attack Imran
Pakistan Democratic Movement President Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan of pursuing an 'Ahmadi agenda' for Pakistan.

In a tweet posted earlier during the day, Rehman -- who is also the president of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Pakistan, claimed to have taken to micro-blogging site Twitter to screengrabs allegedly detailing why Imran had been dubbed "pro-Qadiani" and a "Jewish agent". In his tweet, Rehman said Imran had ascended to office to pursue "their" agenda. "He either remains busy in running the campaign of a Jew in London or a Qadiani in the United States," Rehman went on to claim in his tweet.

https://twitter.com/MoulanaOfficial/status/1567358791498317824?s=20&t=Uj7QQ3u-tV1zGhzDpYwuRQ

The PDM president claimed in a preceding tweet the same day that recognising Israel and axing the Second Amendment declaring the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya as a "non-Muslim" minority constituted the twin pillars of Imran's "agenda" for Pakistan. He said the JUI-P had ensured his agenda remained unfulfilled. "Imran tasted defeat on this account while being in office," Rehman said. The JUI-P had wreaked havoc on it after throwing him out of power," he went on to add.

https://twitter.com/MoulanaOfficial/status/1567358796959285253?s=20&t=Uj7QQ3u-tV1zGhzDpYwuRQ

September 7 marks the day the Second Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan declared the Ahmadis a "non-Muslim" minority. Ordinance XX, separately, effectively criminalises the community.

Pakistan's tiny Ahmadi community is subjected to routine persecution which often enjoys legal and state sanction. An Ahmadi was killed by a religious fanatic earlier. Sixty-year-old Ahmadi Naseer Ahmad was waiting at the Chenab Nagar Bus Stop when Shahzad Hassan forced him to raise slogans in praise of deceased TLP supremo Khadim Rizvi. He also asked the deceased to chant “Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah’! He attacked Naseer soon after.

Hassan was overpowered at the spot and handed over to police. In a statement, the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya (JA) said Ahmad had no personal rivalry with anybody. He was simply killed for being Ahmadi, the JA said.

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) vice-president Malik Ilyas Awan separately demanded Ahmadis to be evicted from Khushab.

In a letter to district authorities dated July 30, the party vice-president, who is also a member of the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat Supreme Council, claimed the Constitution of Pakistan proscribes public acts of devotion on part of Ahmadis. He alleged that this was exactly what was transpiring at the residence of one Ahmadi where weekly prayers were regularly organised. The venue, much to Awan’s chagrin, was secured by police.

The PML-Q vice-president said such instances constitute a flagrant violation of the Constitution. Police deployment at the residence, he said, was tantamount to compromising the force’s confession. This, he added, did not bode well for minors either. Awan concluded his letter by calling for Ahmadis to be expelled from the district.

Pervaiz Elahi, the current chief minister Punjab, introduced the Punjab Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam Bill 2020 in his stint as speaker of the provincial assembly. His first major policy decision as CM was to include the Khatm-e-Nabuwwat provision in the nikahnama (marriage certificate). Pakistan is the sole country to undertake such measures.

Two Ahmadis have been killed in targeted attacks this year. The burial of two Ahmadis was impeded separately over the year. An Ahmadi worship place was sealed in Mirpur Khas. The graves of 189 Ahmadis have been desecrated. Thirty-one confession-based cases have been lodged.

*The term 'Qadiani' is a derogatory slur employed for Ahmadis.