Three graves that belonged to Ahmadis in Pakistan’s Punjab have been ravaged by the police, days after the its Prime Minister Imran Khan had warned strict action against those targeting the country’s minority communities.
Ahmadiyas have been considered as non Muslims and a constitutional amendment in 1974 was made to give state sanction. Post this they have been considered a religious minority in Pakistan and even prevented from taking part in the conventional Hajj pilgrimage that Muslims go to every year in Saudi Arabia.
A spokesperson from the Jamaat Ahmadiyya Pakistan, the party that represents the rights of Ahmadis in the country said that the incident took place in Chak-2 TDA district in Khushab, in a graveyard 300 kilometres from Lahore. He condemned this action, saying that “Ahmadis were not safe even in the graves”. He also went on to post pictures of these desecrated graves on Twitter. He also reminded Prime Minister Khan of his recent warning that his government would take strict action against those involved in violence against the minorities. “I want to warn our people that anyone in Pakistan targeting our non-Muslim citizens or their places of worship will be dealt with strictly. Our minorities are equal citizens of this country,” Khan said in a tweet on Wednesday.
An official from the office of Deputy Commissioner Khushab told PTI that the tombs/plaques from the graves were removed on a complaint filed by the locals. Similarly, local clerics in Lahore had taken down a 100 year old place of worship of the Ahmadis.
Source : News18