One of the worship sites allegedly desecrated by police. Twitter
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Monday urged the government to assign special police units to protect worship sites of the Ahmadiyya community in accordance with the 2014 Jillani judgement.
The 2014 ruling, penned by then-CJP Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, had mandated the government to constitute a federal task force to chalk out a strategy to promote religious tolerance, and also set up a National Council of Minorities Rights to ensure minorities’ rights were safeguarded.
In its statement, the HRCP noted that at least 34 Ahmadi worship sites had been desecrated since January, adding some incidents had occurred with the complicity of the police. This, it stressed, “should sound alarm bells for the government and for all progressive-minded people.”
Emphasizing that no other community in Pakistan had faced the level of intolerance and bigotry experienced by the Ahmadi community, it lamented that this had triggered little action by the government, is obligated to protect every citizen’s right to freedom of religion or belief. “The government must take a stand and refuse to allow any individual or group to instigate or carry out such acts or desecration,” it added.
The HRCP statement followed a video statement issued by workers of the rightwing Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) last week in which they had warned they would take matters into their own hands if police failed to demolish all “Islamic” adornments, including minarets, from Ahmadi worship sites. In the statement, the TLP workers alleged they had been assured by the Sheikhupura police that all minarets would be demolished by Rabiul Awwal 11. If this were not done, they warned, police would be held responsible for the situation that results on Rabiul Awwal 12 (Friday).
In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, the Ahmadi community said the places of worship desecrated by police allegedly under pressure of the TLP had been built before 1984, noting that a recent Lahore High Court ruling allowed for places of worship built prior to Ordinance XX of 1984 to retain their original structure. Lamenting that police had desecrated four of its place of worship in Sheikhupura in the past week alone, it added: “The respected P.M., after the tragic incident of Jaranwala, expressed his utmost commitment that he stands by every religious community and that if anyone threatens their security they would have to answer to the state.” The Jaranwala incident refers to last month’s attacks on the Christian community in Faisalabad, reportedly also instigated by the TLP. “The Ahmadiyya community still awaits for the P.M. to take action,” it added.