Ahmadis being threatened with criminal charges for non-compliance
In the lead-up to Eid-ul-Adha 2025, authorities across Pakistan have launched a nationwide campaign aimed at preventing Ahmadi Muslims from participating in the religious observances of Eid ul Adha. This campaign has taken the form of legal intimidation, coercive administrative orders, and state-sanctioned restrictions—amplified by pressure from local bar associations and extremist networks, particularly Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a far-right religious extremist organisation known for inciting violence against religious minorities.
Across more than 20 districts—including Lahore, Karachi, Okara, Sahiwal, Umerkot, and Hyderabad—police have issued summonses to Ahmadi Muslims, demanding that they sign surety bonds pledging not to offer Eid prayers or carry out animal sacrifices. In many cases, those who refused were threatened with arrest or criminal charges under Pakistan’s anti-Ahmadi laws. Meanwhile, local administrations in areas such as Kallar Kahar, Khanewal, and Narowal issued formal notices explicitly prohibiting Ahmadi Muslims from participating in any Eid-related rituals. In Kotli, Azad Kashmir, officials went as far as instructing an Ahmadi Muslim delegation to offer prayers one hour earlier than other Muslims and to refrain from any sacrificial rites.
Bar associations across the country have played a particularly alarming role in driving this crackdown. The Lahore High Court Bar Association issued letters to provincial law enforcement demanding that action be taken to prevent Ahmadi Muslims from performing Islamic rites. The Karachi Bar Association made similar appeals to the Sindh Police. In Mirpur Khas, the local bar association passed a resolution explicitly calling for police action against any Ahmadi Muslims found performing Eid sacrifice. These actions have effectively given legal cover to an intensifying campaign of religious exclusion
The role of TLP, a far-right religious extremist organisation, has also been critical. Reports have emerged that TLP has compiled surveillance lists identifying Ahmadi households and offered cash rewards for identifying anyone purchasing animals for Eid. In one example, Abdul Wali, an Ahmadi shopkeeper from Rabwah, was detained in Chiniot while attempting to buy a sacrificial animal after being reported by a former TLP candidate. Although released without charge, the incident was filmed and circulated online to publicly shame him.
These measures follow a similar pattern observed during Eid-ul-Adha 2024, when more than 30 Ahmadi Muslims were arrested under preventive detention laws such as the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance. In Jhelum that year, TLP leaders had openly threatened Ahmadi Muslims at public rallies while armed.
What distinguishes this year’s campaign is the level of institutional coordination. Legal notices, police summons, bar association petitions, and community surveillance efforts have converged to enforce a policy of silencing Ahmadi Muslim worship during one of Islam’s most significant festivals.
These actions violate both Article 20 of Pakistan’s Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion, and Pakistan’s international human rights obligations.
The Government of Pakistan must immediately withdraw all bans, summonses, and coercive orders aimed at Ahmadi Muslims, and to hold accountable those officials and bar associations involved in promoting or enforcing these restrictions. Moreover, extremist-led surveillance campaigns must be dismantled, and those inciting violence or harassment against Ahmadi Muslims should face legal consequences.
Source: Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK.