Pakistan: Ahmadi Muslim Brutally Axed To Death In Rawalpindi Murdered For His Faith
On 5th December 2024, an assailant murdered Ahmadi Muslim Tayyab Ahmad with an axe in broad daylight, declaring: “Qadianis! We warned you to leave this place and vacate the area.”
“This brutal killing is the result of giving a free hand to extremists involved in anti-Ahmadi activities and the lack of appropriate actions. Ahmadis are no longer safe anywhere in Pakistan,” according to the International Human Rights Committee (IHRC).
Picture: On 5th December 2024, an assailant murdered Ahmadi Muslim Tayyab Ahmad with an axe in broad daylight.
In the Dhamial Camp area of Rawalpindi, two Ahmadi brothers, Tahir Ahmad Qamar and Tayyab Ahmad, were at their shop at around 1:00 PM. An unidentified man, wielding an axe, approached them. “Qadianis! (Ahmadis!) We warned you to leave this place and vacate the area”, he shouted before launching a brutal attack with the axe. Tayyab Ahmad succumbed to his injuries on the spot. The assailant, around 30 years old, fled the scene, continuing to hurl threats.
The deceased had recently travelled from Rajanpur to Rawalpindi to visit his brother. Despite explaining that he was merely a guest, the attacker struck Tayyab multiple times on the upper part of his body with the axe.
Tayyab, aged 40, was known as a noble and humble man. Previously, his family had faced severe religious persecution in Rajanpur. Similarly, his brother in Rawalpindi was also enduring religious hostility and had been receiving continuous death threats. A few days prior to the attack, a religious gathering had taken place near their shop, after which participants pelted their business premises with stones.
“It is deeply distressing that an Ahmadi has been murdered in broad daylight by a religious extremist. This is a direct consequence of extremists fueling hatred against Ahmadis, leaving them totally unsafe. There is no moral leadership against religious hatred, or effective law enforcement against hate crimes,” the IHRC stated.
“The identities of those promoting extremism against the Ahmadiyya Muslims are no secret. Why does the government fail to take legal action against them? If those inciting hatred and violence are held accountable under the law, religion-based killings and chaos can be prevented.”
IHRC demands that legal action be taken against those who, under the guise of religion, create fear and terror in society with impunity. This is necessary to establish a peaceful and harmonious community.
The IHRC noted an alarming increase in hate campaign activities against the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan. The killing of Ahmadis has become the norm in Pakistan, while the government hardly takes notice. Threats and attempts to kill Ahmadis have increased in virtually in every part of the country.
The IHRC requests support to help prevent further bloodshed and discrimination, and to protect the universal and inherent human right to religious freedom in Pakistan.
All governments and relevant civil society organizations should pressure the Government of Pakistan to prosecute all who have been nurturing hatred and inciting violence resulting in the brutal targeted killings of Ahmadis. Pervasive religious violence is a stain on the reputation and image of Pakistan, which professes to be an democratic Islamic state.
This dire situation requires urgent international intervention. Political and faith leaders from across the world met in 2023 in London to secure Freedom of Religion and Belief for everyone worldwide. But in Pakistan these values are not being upheld. For the respect of all that was resolved in the international conference, the world must take immediate and urgent action to ensure that Ahmadis in Pakistan enjoy their full rights to follow their religion and be able to freely practice their faith as required.
We strongly urge the international community to impress upon the Government of Pakistan to honor its responsibility, to provide effective protection and freedom of religious practice to Ahmadis, that perpetrators of such vicious attacks should be brought to justice, and to bring its laws and practices in conformity with international standards as ordained by Article 20, United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 2, 18 and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Article 25, 26.
