In Lahore, three Ahmadiyya places of worship have reportedly been subjectedto desecration by the police in the Sheikhupura district. The firstincident took place in the Kirto area of Narang Mandi, followed bydesecration in Nano Dogar in Sharqpur, and Bedaadpur Virkan near Muridke,all within the Sheikhupura district. In each case, the minarets of theseplaces of worship were demolished.
Members of the Ahmadiyya community have accused the Sheikhupura districtpolice of not providing necessary protection for their places of worshipand, rather, being complicit in the desecration.
They allege that Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) activists pressured thepolice and local residents to dismantle the minarets in Kirto Narang Mandi.Previously, residents from Sunni and Shia sects had issued a writtenstatement asserting peaceful coexistence with the Ahmadiyya community intheir village.
However, a police team, led by a superintendent of police, demolished theupper portions of the minarets and ordered the remaining parts to becovered. A police officer defended their actions, stating that theAhmadiyyas had constructed the minarets against the law and had beeninstructed to remove them.
He mentioned that the police had received numerous complaints aboutAhmadiyya places of worship resembling Muslim mosques, which was inviolation of the law. The TLP had organized a protest outside the districtpolice officer’s office in Sheikhupura in August, demanding the demolitionof all minarets on Ahmadiyya places of worship in the district by RabiulAwwal 11.
They warned of taking matters into their own hands if their demands werenot met. A spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya community argued that the placeof worship had been built before 1984 and cited a Lahore High Court rulingthat stated their places of worship constructed prior to Ordinance XX of1984 were legal and should not be demolished or altered.
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Despite presenting these court orders to the authorities, their appealswent unanswered. The spokesperson alleged that Punjab police officialsyielded to pressure from TLP protesters and took action against theirplaces of worship in Sheikhupura.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern overthese incidents, noting that the Ahmadiyya community has faced at least 34incidents of place of worship desecration since January, some of whichinvolved alleged police complicity. The HRCP called on the government toprotect the rights of religious minorities and deploy special police unitsto safeguard these sites, in accordance with the 2014 Jillani judgment.
These incidents have drawn attention to the challenges faced by theAhmadiyya community in Pakistan, raising questions about religious freedomand tolerance in the country. Advocacy groups and the HRCP have urged thegovernment to take decisive action to address this issue and protect therights of all citizens, regardless of their religious beliefs.
