Pakistan: Mass Arrests of Innocent Ahmadis, Including Young Children, Intensify Religious Persecution Based on Their Belief
Accused of offering Friday Prayers, Ahmadis Prevented from Praying and Detained
The international community must act immediately.
The International Human Rights Committee (IHRC) is urgently appealing to Pakistani authorities and members of the international community to intervene as Ahmadi citizens face unprecedented threats to their religious freedom and right to life itself.
A seemingly coordinated series of expulsions from mosques and detentions of Ahmadis on March 14 has left Ahmadi citizens not only afraid to worship but also displaced from their homes for fear of violence.
Tharo Mandi, Pasrur, Pakistan
On 14 March 2025, police detained 29 Ahmadis of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Tharo Mandi, Pasrur, near Sialkot, Pakistan, for offering Friday Prayers. These individuals, including children and elderly members of the community, are now prisoners of conscience for simply practicing their faith.
A shocking video1 shows that police have placed children, as young as 10 to 12 years old, into a police pickup truck. Meanwhile, elderly individuals, some appearing over 75 years old, were put into another van before being taken away.
1https://x.com/faith_defence/status/1900682472125591585?s=46&t=qJrK62IRsj8eXEilMTXPBA
Faisalabad, Pakistan
On 14 March 2025, a large and aggressive TLP-led mob gathered outside an Ahmadiyya Muslim Community mosque in Amin Pur Bazar, Faisalabad, chanting violent slogans and calling for its destruction. However, due to the presence of police, the mob was unable to take over or demolish the mosque. Despite the threats, law enforcement prevented the extremists from executing their plan, avoiding another act of religious violence against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
Chak 209, GB, Faisalabad, Pakistan
On 13 March 2025, a violent mob, reportedly incited by TLP leadership, launched an attack on an Ahmadiyya Muslim Community mosque in Chak 209, GB, Faisalabad. Worshippers inside the mosque were forced to flee as the mob attempted to take control of the premises. Despite the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s peaceful resistance, authorities responded by sealing the mosque rather than protecting its rightful occupants. This act further exemplifies the systematic persecution faced by Ahmadis in Pakistan, where extremist pressure dictates law enforcement actions against religious minorities.
Recent Incidents of Religious Persecution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in 2025
The following coordinated attacks were carried out by the members and leadership of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a radical extremist group that continues to incite violence against religious minorities:
- January 16, Daska: A 100-year-old Ahmadi Mosque, built by a former President of the UN General Assembly, was demolished by authorities following direct pressure from TLP-led groups.
- February 28, Sargodha & Daska: Dozens of Ahmadis arrested, including innocent children as young as 16 years old, after TLP-led protests. These children are now prisoners of conscience, jailed simply for practicing their faith. The arrests were made under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which are frequently misused against religious minorities.
- March 7, Karachi: Six Ahmadis arrested, over 25—including children—charged after TLP-led mobs protested and pressured authorities to take action against the mosque.
- March 11, Bahawalnagar: A violent mob, incited by TLP leadership, destroyed the minarets of an Ahmadi Mosque, while local authorities failed to intervene.
- March 12-13, Okara: Following a TLP-organized sit-in protest during Ramadan, another Ahmadi Mosque was forcibly sealed to appease extremists.
- March 13, Chak 209, GB, Faisalabad: A TLP-organized attack targeted Ahmadis while they were praying. The mosque was forcibly taken over and sealed by the police following the violent attack.
- March 14, Amin Pur Bazar, Faisalabad: A large violent TLP mob gathered outside an Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Mosque, threatening yet another attack.
- March 14, Tharo Mandi, Pasrur: 29 Ahmadis, including young children and elderly individuals, were arrested by police simply for offering Juma prayers. They have been detained without justification, also making them prisoners of conscience.
A Growing Crisis Demands Immediate Action
Religious persecution and violence in Pakistan are escalating at an alarming rate, endangering the lives and freedoms of hundreds of thousands of peaceful citizens. Extremist forces are manipulating local and national authorities, using legal pretexts to justify their oppressive actions.
By allowing these injustices, Pakistan is blatantly violating international religious freedom standards. The IHRC urges governments—particularly those of the European Union, the United States, and the UK, which have pledged to uphold religious liberty—to take decisive action. At this critical moment, when state-backed persecution is reaching unprecedented levels, urgent intervention is imperative
