AHMADIS TARGETED THROUGH DELIBERATE SEPARATE VOTER LISTS IN PAKISTAN
Persecution against an Ahmadi school owner in Lahore, Pakistan, has recently intensified due to the illegal distribution of separate voter lists by the government. The Pakistani Election Commission, in collaboration with local officials, has printed distinct voter lists for citizens belonging to the Ahmadiyya Muslim faith. This discriminatory tactic aims to expose and target Ahmadis, leading to further discrimination and violence against them.
Evidence of this discriminatory practice can be observed in widely circulated social media posts urging the boycott of a school led by an Ahmadi citizen. These posts falsely claim that the school, owned by Mr. Imtiaz Ahmed Butt and verified through the Ahmadi voter lists, will “rob students of their faith.” Such incitement to violence is a clear violation of international human rights standards.
Under the guise of an “Important Announcement,” a hate campaign has been launched, specifically targeting Mr. Imtiaz Ahmed Butt and his son, Mr. Mashud Ahmad Butt, whose names were obtained from the 2023 Ahmadi voter list. This announcement falsely accuses Mr. Butt of being a staunch Ahmadi and asserts that his school, Imtiaz Public School, located on Pico Road Kot Lakhpat, belongs to Ahmadis. The inflammatory message urges Muslim parents to immediately withdraw their children from the school to protect their faith.
The International Human Rights Committee urges the United Nations and other international authorities to intervene and demand that the government of Pakistan adhere to its own laws and international obligations. Specifically, the Election Commission must be compelled to cease the publication and distribution of separate voter lists, which serve as instruments of religious discrimination and persecution against the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.
We once again strongly urge the international community to impress upon the Government of Pakistan to honour its responsibility to provide effective protection and freedom of religious practice to Ahmadis, and to bring its laws and practices in conformity with international standards as ordained by Article 20.
Human rights groups have repeatedly expressed their deep concern over the lack of attention to the serious human rights violations perpetrated against the Ahmadiyya community around the world and called on the international community to step up efforts in bringing an end to the ongoing persecution of Ahmadis.
The Government of Pakistan must also bring its laws and practices in conformity with international standards as ordained by Article 2, 18 and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Article 25, 26.
On July 13, 2021, UN human rights experts expressed their deep concern over the lack of attention to the serious human rights violations perpetrated against the Ahmadiyya community around the world and called on the international community to step up efforts in bringing an end to the ongoing persecution of Ahmadis.
