Punjab, Pakistan: Ahmadi Muslims Face Criminal Charges – For Practicing Their Faith
In a chilling display of religious persecution, authorities in Punjab have filed criminal charges against members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Their so-called crime? Peacefully practicing their faith. This latest act of injustice reflects the ongoing, systematic abuse of international human rights laws—carried out under direct pressure from the extremist group Tehrik-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
In Kasur, Punjab, a criminal case has been registered against 42 members of the Ahmadiyya community—two named and 40 unidentified—based on the mere practice of their faith, including offering prayers and using Islamic terminology.
The First Information Reports (FIR) was filed based on a complaint of a local citizen named Afzal, and was registered by the A-Division Police Station in Kasur under Section 298(C) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), a discriminatory law often used against Ahmadis. The complaint accuses Ahmadi Muslims of “imitating Muslims” by offering individual and collective prayers (including Taraweeh and Friday prayers) and using Islamic symbols in their place of worship, Darul Zikr, which was allegedly established in a residential area. The case was registered following a court order based on a writ petition filed under Sections 22(A) and 22(B) of the Penal Code.
Despite no act of violence or threat posed by the Ahmadis, the case shows how practicing their faith peacefully is being criminalized by Pakistani courts under pressure from extremists, and in violation of both Pakistan’s Constitution and international huma rights standards and legislation.
There is growing evidence and concern that groups such as Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), known for their extreme and violent stance against religious minorities—particularly Ahmadis—are influencing or directly pressuring local authorities into targeting the Ahmadiyya community. The alliance or complacency of local police forces with extremist demands represents a grave threat to the rule of law and civil liberties.
The International Human Rights Committee (IHRC) reminds Pakistani authorities:
- Article 20 of the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees every citizen the right to profess, practice, and propagate their religion.
- Article 25 ensures equality of all citizens before the law.
The criminalization of peaceful worship and the use of the police and judiciary to enforce religious discrimination is a direct contradiction of these principles.
The coordinated actions of local authorities and extremist groups such as TLP represent an alarming trend of state-backed religious persecution. Immediate attention from national and international human rights organizations is urgently required to protect the Ahmad
We have repeatedly reminded the Government of Pakistan and once again remind them and the Punjab Bar Council that:
- The Constitution of Pakistan (Article 20) guarantees freedom of religion.
- The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)—to which Pakistan is a party—explicitly prohibits religious discrimination under Articles 2, 18, 25, and 26.
- Segregation of utensils and spaces on the basis of religion is a textbook case of apartheid and religious persecution.
We call upon:
- The Pakistan Bar Council and Supreme Court Bar Association to immediately denounce this action and take disciplinary action against all those involved in this vile act of bigotry.
- The Government of Pakistan to end its silence and bring national laws in line with international human rights standards.
- The international legal community and bar associations worldwide to speak out and sever ties with any professional bodies that endorse or remain complicit in this persecution.
- The United Nations and global human rights organizations to launch independent investigations into systemic religious apartheid in Pakistan.
The IHRC stands firm in solidarity with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. This relentless persecution must end.
