To the State of Pakistan
Long Term
We call upon the government of Pakistan to live up to the principles of religious freedom espoused by the father of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and protect and defend the fundamental rights of all communities of faith, including the Ahmadis who have contributed so much to the nation.
Report Ahmadis in Pakistan face an existential threat
The purpose of this report is to assess the human rights and security situation of the Ahmadi community in Pakistan, and more specifically to identify and analyze trends emerging since the beginning of 2015.
In December 2014, on behalf of the International Human Rights Committee and the Asian Human Rights Commission, a group of independent human rights experts undertook a fact-finding mission to assemble facts about the persecution of the Ahmadi community in Pakistan.
The report that was subsequently produced was the first comprehensive report specifically focusing on the persecution of Ahmadis. The well-received report of the mission has been widely referenced and used by international bodies and the NGO community in efforts to assist Pakistan to meets its international human rights obligations regarding the protection of Ahmadis and other religious minorities.
Subsequently, the International Human Rights Committee (IHRC) and Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) supported by the Forum for Religious Freedom – Europe (FOREF) and Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) assembled a team that visited Pakistan in April 2017.
This report has been produced as a result of this most recent visit. It highlights the position of Ahmadis in Pakistan since 2015.
Key Findings
Recommendation
The Mission notes that the recommendations set out in the fact-finding report of 2015 are still relevant today. The Mission expresses its dismay in noting that little, if any, progress has been made since its last Report. We set out our recommendations below and, urge Pakistan to fulfill its international obligations by repealing certain laws that are incompatible with established human rights law and international conventions that Pakistan has ratified.
We also call on the international community to make a concerted effort to ensure that human rights norms are adopted and implemented in Pakistan and applied without discrimination of any kind. We note that the fight against extremism, the fight against terrorism and the hopes of economic and social development – cannot be attained without the protective mantle of the law covering all citizens in Pakistan equally.