INCIDENTS REPORT PAKISTAN
- Bigotry, hatred and extremist speech used by PML-N member in National Assembly
- 3 Ahmadis sentenced to death for blasphemy
- On 10 October 2017, Captain Safdar, (who is the former Prime Minister’s son-in-law), a member of the Pakistan National Assembly lashed out against the already persecuted Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. In his hate speech – that he delivered in Parliament – he called Ahmadis to be a “threat to the country”. He called for ‘action’ to be taken against the Ahmadiyya particularly calling to bring a resolution in the National Assembly for a “ban on recruitment of Qadianis [derogatory term for Ahmadis] in the armed forces”. Safdar said that Ahmadis are a “threat” to the country. He demanded to rename the Qaide Azim University’s Physics Department which has been named after the first Pakistani Nobel laureate, Professor Dr. Abdus Salam. According to him Dr. Salam is “a controversial figure that has been termed an infidel in light of the Constitution” and he would “not like any such institution associated with him.”
Unfortunately, as Asma Jahangir has said: “Around the world, nobody can speak about their minority populations in such a manner”. “If we do not raise our voice against this incident today, people like this (who make such remarks against minorities), will form a majority.”
It is unfortunate to note that the mainstream political parties have not condemned this to date and this sort of rhetoric is seen as normal leading to the persecution of minorities such as Ahmadis.
- On 12th October 2017, three Ahmadi Muslims were sentenced to death for blasphemy. Mubashir Ahmad, Ghulam Ahmed and Ehsan Ahmed were arrested in 2014 near Lahore. Further details will be provided in due course.
The IHRC notes that Members of the Ahmadiyya community are facing decades of persecution. Since 1984, when the blasphemy laws were amended to include several Ahmadi-specific clauses, more than 250 Ahmadis have been killed. Hundreds have been persecuted. Ahmadis are continuing to face social boycott.
The state of Pakistan continuously fails to protect and uphold the fundamental human rights of Ahmadi Muslims. We urge the international community to put pressure on Pakistan to uphold the rights of its citizens.