Ahmadi Community Faces Arrests and Harassment During Eid-ul Adha in Pakistan

At least 36 members of the Ahmadi community in Pakistan were arrested for performing religious rites on Eid-ul Adha. Authorities, influenced by extremist groups, prevented them from offering their sacrifices. The Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Pakistan has demanded their release and called for measures to protect their religious freedoms.

At least 36 members of Pakistan's Ahmadi community were arrested for performing religious rites during Eid-ul Adha, as they have been officially declared non-Muslims. A community leader disclosed this information on Tuesday.

The Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Pakistan strongly protested the authorities' actions, condemning the prevention of Ahmadis from conducting religious rites within their own homes during the Islamic holiday.

'At least 36 members of the minority Ahmadi community have been arrested for offering sacrificial animals for slaughter on Eid-ul Adha, mostly in Punjab province,' Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Pakistan official Amir Mahmood informed PTI. He further pointed out that the extremist Tehreek-e-Labbiak Pakistan (TLP) has been inciting hatred against Ahmadis and pressuring police to halt their religious practices.

Mahmood termed the prevention of Ahmadis from performing their religious rites within their homes as a severe violation of their human rights and Supreme Court of Pakistan's judgements. He reported that Ahmadis are continually harassed, particularly in Punjab, not only by extremists but also by law enforcement agencies.

The police detained not only Ahmadis but also their sacrificial animals, preventing them from offering Eid prayers in some locations. Mahmood noted that police officials are summoning Ahmadiyya leadership to police stations and issuing threats, warning that performing Qurbani or offering Eid prayers would endanger them due to threats from the TLP.

He revealed that intelligence agencies have issued a threat alert against Ahmadis during Eid. Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Pakistan demands the immediate release of detained Ahmadis and calls for authorities to take steps to guarantee their religious freedom.

In Pakistan, minorities, especially Ahmadis, face significant vulnerability and are frequently targeted by religious extremists. Although they consider themselves Muslims, Pakistan's Parliament declared them non-Muslims in 1974 and subsequently restricted them from practising several aspects of Islam.

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