Amnesty International Calls for Release of Detained Ahmadis and Protection of Their Places of Worship
Amnesty International on Monday urged the Pakistani government to release and drop all charges against Ahmadis detained in recent weeks and to ensure the protection of their places of worship.
On March 1, police in Daska (Sialkot) arrested 22 members of the Ahmadiyya community for offering prayers at their religious site.
On March 7, over two dozen Ahmadis, including children, were taken into “protective custody” as a mob gathered outside their place of worship in Surjani Town, Karachi. Later, police registered a criminal case against them and arrested six members following a complaint by a Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) activist.
Additionally, a recent incident in Bahawalnagar saw Dahranwala police booking nine individuals—including seven members of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat and two Ahmadis—on charges related to the death of a TLP activist during a scuffle in Chak 166 Murad.
Amnesty International described the increasing arrests, harassment, and violence against Ahmadis as a violation of their fundamental right to freedom of religion and belief. In just the past two weeks, more than 60 Ahmadis, including children, have been unlawfully detained in Daska, Sargodha, and Karachi. Meanwhile, Ahmadiyya places of worship have been desecrated in Bahawalnagar and Gujranwala.
Authorities have filed cases against Ahmadis under Section 298-C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which criminalizes them for identifying as Muslims or preaching their faith.
Amnesty International called on Pakistani authorities to immediately release all Ahmadis detained solely for practicing their faith and to provide sufficient protection for their places of worship. The organization further urged that officials involved in harassment or destruction of Ahmadiyya property be held accountable.
It emphasized that denying Ahmadis their religious freedoms contradicts Article 20 of Pakistan’s Constitution and violates the country’s international human rights obligations.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has reported a rising trend of mob-led attacks on religious minorities, including the arbitrary detention of Ahmadis, desecration of their graves, and the vulnerability of Hindu and Christian women to forced conversion.
The HRCP’s report, Under Siege: Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2023-24, noted that as of October last year, over 750 people were imprisoned on blasphemy charges, with at least four faith-based killings recorded—three of which targeted Ahmadis.
The report highlighted the increasing misuse of blasphemy laws against Ahmadis, often initiated by law enforcement officials themselves, with four cases in Punjab filed by police officers, reflecting institutional bias against the community.
