Minarets Demolished, Worship Places Attacked: Pakistan’s Escalating Genocidal Intimidation and Religious Apartheid Against Ahmadiyya Muslims
Under severe pressure from Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Punjab Police continues its vandalism of Ahmadi Muslim Mosques in Sangla Hill and Salimpur, Punjab, Pakistan.
The International Human Rights Committee (IHRC) strongly condemns the recent violent attacks targeting Ahmadiyya Muslim worship places in Sangla Hill, Nankana Sahib, and Salimpur, Sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan. These deliberate acts are part of an escalating campaign of genocidal intimidation and institutionalized religious apartheid against Ahmadi Muslims, executed with blatant cooperation between extremist clerics including members of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), and government authorities.
Sangla Hill: Forced Demolition Under Threats and Coercion
On April 9, 2025, at approximately 11 pm, local authorities, including civil administration and police forces, forcibly demolished the minarets and prayer niches of two Ahmadiyya Prayer Centres in Hamraj Pura and Kot Rahmat Khan, Punjab, Pakistan. Prior to the demolition, Ahmadi community leaders were intimidated by Punjab Police Assistant Commissioner Zahir Ahmad and DSP Ejaz Ahmad Dogar of Punjab, Police who pressured them into demolishing the structures themselves or face sealing of their mosques. Despite demands for an official written order, authorities proceeded with destruction under claimed “verbal orders,” demonstrating the state’s reckless disregard for law and religious freedom. Under severe pressure from the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) these monstrous acts continue. See Video circulating on social media.
Link to video on social media: https://x.com/faith_defence/status/1911128472900042964
Salimpur: Historic Mosque Targeted by Extremists and Police
On April 12, 2025, extremist clerics supported by the Punjab Police demolished the minaret of a historically significant Ahmadiyya mosque in Salimpur, Sialkot, Punjab, Paksitan. This brutal act of vandalism occurred without any prior notice, shocking and deeply disturbing the Ahmadiyya community. The direct involvement of the Punjab Police further underscores a dangerous alliance between state entities and extremist factions to systematically eradicate Ahmadi religious identity. See Video circulating on social media.
Link to video on social media: https://x.com/faith_defence/status/1911228227546144806
A Systematic Campaign of Religious Apartheid
These events are symptomatic of a broader, organized campaign orchestrated primarily by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), supported by complicity from Pakistani authorities. Ahmadis face criminalization for peaceful worship, their mosques face arbitrary sealing and desecration, and community members live under constant threats of violence and persecution, marking a deliberate policy of state-endorsed religious apartheid.
IHRC Calls for Urgent Global Intervention
The International Human Rights Committee (IHRC) urgently appeals to:
- The United Nations, European Union, United States, and United Kingdom—powerful international actors with influence to halt this grave human rights crisis.
- International human rights watchdogs, defenders of religious freedom, and global advocacy groups—to urgently mobilize and amplify efforts to counteract this systematic persecution.
We demand immediate and resolute action:
- An immediate halt to all genocidal intimidation and persecution of the Ahmadiyya community.
- Comprehensive accountability and prosecution of local and provincial officials complicit in human rights violations.
- Immediate international protective measures for all Ahmadiyya worship places across Pakistan.
- Complete repeal of discriminatory laws targeting the Ahmadiyya community.
- Official designation of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) as a terrorist organization, along with decisive international sanctions against its leadership and members promoting violence and religious hatred.
The global community must decisively act now to prevent Pakistan from further descending into religious apartheid and ensure immediate safety, security, and fundamental human rights for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.
