On the early morning of 11 October, police officials from the Ahmednagar Chatha Police Station, desecrated the local Ahmadi Muslim Mosque in Mohlanke Chatha, Gujranwala by demolishing its minarets. This mosque, a place of worship since 1954, was constructed before the introduction of the Anti-Ahmadi laws in 1984.
Notably, Justice Tariq Saleem Shaikh of the Lahore High Court, in a judgement last year emphasised in paragraph 16 that the provisions of the 1984 Anti-Ahmadi laws do not permit the demolition or alteration of religious buildings that existed prior to its enactment.
Image of the desecrated minarets of the mosque in Mohlanke Chatha, Gujranwala.
The is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of systematic discrimination.
Following this incident, a second desecration occurred later that day in Gakhhar Mandi, Gujranwala, where police officials, under the pressure of religious extremists, desecrated the minarets of another Ahmadi Muslim Mosque, which has stood since 1953.
Despite the Lahore High Court’s clear directive, local police not only disregarded the ruling but actively participated in vandalising the mosque, reinforcing the extremist agenda at the expense of justice and religious freedom.
Images of the mosque in Gakhhar Mandi, Gujranwala, after the minarets were desecrated.
These events mark a disturbing escalation, as this month alone, four Ahmadi Muslim mosques have been desecrated by authorities, revealing an unsettling trend of appeasement towards extremist demands. The repeated targeting of Ahmadi Muslim mosques, particularly those safeguarded by the courts, undermines not only the rule of law but also the safety and religious rights of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
It is imperative that the authorities uphold the High Court’s orders and fulfil their duty to protect the fundamental rights of all citizens.
The police must cease yielding to extremist pressure and ensure the safety and freedom of religious practice for Ahmadi Muslims across Pakistan.
Source: Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK.