Feeding the Needy, Facing Prison: A New Trend in Anti-Ahmadi Persecution
Charitable Act Leads to Arrest Under Pakistan’s Discriminatory Laws
On 6 July 2025, a deeply troubling incident occurred in Ali Park, Gujranwala, where Mr. Munawwar Ahmad, son of Mr. Allah Rakha, was arrested by police and booked under FIR No. 1721/25 at Satellite Town Police Station, under Section 298-C of Pakistan’s Penal Code—a section widely condemned for its discriminatory application against members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
Mr. Ahmad and his brother, who had recently travelled from Germany to Pakistan, were engaged in a peaceful act of distributing biryani (cooked rice) to members of their neighbourhood on the day of Ashura (10th Muharram). This was a gesture of goodwill and charity, in line with cultural and communal traditions.
However, shortly after the food distribution began, a complaint was filed by Faizan Ahmad, who—alongside others—alleged that Ahmadis were “posing as Muslims” by participating in an act customarily associated with Islamic piety. Despite the purely humanitarian nature of the act, Mr. Munawwar Ahmad was arrested by police and remains in custody as legal efforts are underway for his release on bail.
This incident marks a new and dangerous trend in the ongoing persecution of Ahmadis in Pakistan—where even basic acts of compassion, such as feeding the poor, are being criminalised. It is no longer merely about prayer, worship, or religious identity—basic human decency is now weaponised against them.
Link to social media: https://x.com/faith_defence/status/1942287991461843415?s=46&t=qJrK62IRsj8eXEilMTXPBA
This case comes amid a broader, intensifying wave of persecution targeting Ahmadis across the country. Over recent months:
- Ahmadi mosques have been attacked or forcibly sealed.
- Gravestones have been defaced or smashed to erase Ahmadi identity.
- Community members are being targeted during religious observances, including Friday prayers, Eid, and now Ashura.
Extremist religious organisations, particularly Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and its affiliated groups, have emboldened this persecution with impunity, while state authorities remain complicit—either through silence or active enforcement of discriminatory laws like Section 298-C.
The question now arises: Is there any space left for Ahmadis to live in Pakistan with dignity, freedom, and safety?
We urgently call on the Government of Pakistan to:
- Immediately release Mr. Munawwar Ahmad and drop all false charges against him.
• Repeal Section 298-C, which institutionalises religious discrimination.
• Ensure that Ahmadis are not punished for basic civil or humanitarian acts.
• Fulfil constitutional and international obligations to protect religious minorities from harassment and persecution.
This is not an isolated case—it is part of a new trend of apartheid-style exclusion, where even charity is declared a crime if done by an Ahmadi.
Silence is complicity.
