New cases have been registered against dozens of Ahmadis for offering Friday prayers at Islam Pura Police Station and Raiwind City Police Station in Lahore. Meanwhile, reports indicate that extremist elements continue to incite hostility by surrounding Ahmadi places of worship in various parts of Punjab.
Yesterday, an Ahmadi arriving for Friday prayers at Amin Pur Bazaar in Faisalabad was assaulted by extremists. Similar attempts to besiege Ahmadi prayer centers were reported in Kartarpur, District Faisalabad; Naseera, District Gujrat; Peeru Chak, District Sialkot; and other locations.
Over the past month, extremists have attempted to prevent Ahmadis from offering Friday prayers at at least 33 locations.
In recent months, authorities, complying with these extremist demands, have locked down eight Ahmadi places of worship. Earlier, on February 28 in Daska, District Sialkot, and Bhagtanwala, District Sargodha, and on March 7 in Surjani Town, Karachi, more than 75 Ahmadis were charged for offering Friday prayers, with 28 of them arrested.
Spokesperson of the Ahmadiyya Community Pakistan, Amir Mahmood, condemned the registration of cases against Ahmadis for offering prayers at two police stations in Lahore. He stated that extremist actions aimed at preventing Ahmadis from worshiping according to their beliefs are unacceptable. He further emphasised that Article 20 of Pakistan’s Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to practice their faith freely.
He added that these extremist actions, which hinder peaceful and patriotic Ahmadis from worshiping, continue to damage Pakistan’s global reputation.
The spokesperson urged responsible authorities to reject the discriminatory agenda of extremist elements, ensure the protection of Pakistani Ahmadis' fundamental human rights, dismiss these baseless cases on merit, and immediately release the innocent Ahmadis currently imprisoned.