- Extremist elements displayed banners with derogatory messages against Ahmadis outside a university in Punjab on Tuesday, a day after UN experts expressed grave concern over discrimination and violence against the community.
- The banners, displayed along Sargodha University Road, called for the exclusion and social boycott of Ahmadis, with some labeling them as "disloyal to Pakistan".
- One banner read, "We hate Qadianiyat," referring to the Ahmadi community.
- Jamaat-i-Ahmadiyya Pakistan condemned the display of the banners, calling for their immediate removal and urging law-enforcement to act against those responsible.
- The organization stated that spreading hatred based on beliefs is a violation of the law and called on the state to protect all citizens from incitement and discrimination.
- In 1974, Pakistan's Parliament declared the Ahmadiyya community as non-Muslims, and in 1984, they were banned from calling themselves Muslims and preaching.
- On Monday, UN experts expressed grave concern over ongoing discrimination, violence, and legal restrictions faced by Ahmadis, urging Pakistan to break the pattern of impunity.
- The UN experts highlighted reports of attacks on Ahmadi places of worship, desecration of graves, and hate speech against the community.
Banners with derogatory messages against Ahmadis were displayed outside a university in Punjab, Pakistan, igniting outrage and condemnation from the Jamaat-i-Ahmadiyya. The banners, which included the phrase "We hate Qadianiyat," called for the exclusion and social boycott of Ahmadis, labeling them as "disloyal to Pakistan."23
The display occurred just a day after UN experts expressed grave concern over the ongoing discrimination, violence, and legal restrictions faced by the Ahmadi community. They urged the Pakistani government to address the "pattern of impunity" that allows such acts to go unpunished.7
Jamaat-i-Ahmadiyya Pakistan condemned the banners, stating that "differences in religious beliefs must never become a basis for spreading hatred" and called for their immediate removal. They urged law enforcement to identify those responsible and take action under relevant laws, emphasizing that "spreading hatred against individuals or communities on the basis of their beliefs is condemnable and a violation of the law."45
The UN experts highlighted various forms of discrimination against Ahmadis, including attacks on places of worship, desecration of graves, and arrests linked to religious practices. They reiterated that every individual has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief without facing discrimination or violence.8
The Ahmadiyya community has faced systemic discrimination since Pakistan's Parliament declared them non-Muslims in 1974, further restricting their rights in subsequent years.6
“The banners, placed along Sargodha University Road, called for the exclusion and social boycott of Ahmadis, with some labeling them 'disloyal to Pakistan'. This follows UN experts' Monday warning of a 'pattern of impunity' and their call for Islamabad to protect the minority from discrimination and violence.”
