Police in Gujranwala have allegedly desecrated the symbolic minarets built atop two Ahmadiyya worship places in the district, members of the community have claimed. The minarets were allegedly demolished under pressure from a local group of religious extremists.
Local community members claimed that a police squad arrived at the two local Ahmadiyya Baitul Zikr (worship place) in middle of the night between October 10-11. Even though they were shown court orders which protected the structures, the police officers proceeded to demolish the minarets atop the worship places in Mohlinkay Chatta and Ghakkar Mandi. Local community members said that the two worship places had been were constructed in the 1950s, long before the controversial anti-Ahmadi laws of 1984 came into effect. The presented copies of the Lahore High Court's verdict from last year which extended protection to all Ahmadiyya worship places constructed in the country prior to 1984 from the provisions of the law.
According to eyewitnesses, police officers arrived at the Mohlinkay Chatta worship place around 2:15 AM on October 11. Six officers from the Ahmad Nagar Chatta Police Station used ladders to access the roof and proceeded to demolish the minarets using sledge hammers. They also detained a local Ahmadi community leader and confiscated his mobile phone. The Ahmadi community leader was released only after police completed the demolition of the minarets.
Not only did the police demolish the minarets, they also cleared the debris by reportedly loading it onto a trolley, before leaving the site.
An hour prior to the incident in Mohlinkay Chatta, a similar incident took place in Ghakkar Mandi. A group of 10-15 police officers, led by the Security In Charge of the Ghakkar Mandi police station, arrived at the Ahmadiyya worship place demanded keys to the building from the Ahmadi official in charge of it. When the request was refused, officers used a ladder to forcibly enter private property, and vandalised security cameras. The police then reportedly removed the DVR containing recordings of the surveillance cameras before proceeding to desecrate the minarets under the cover of darkness, again taking the debris with them.
The Ahmadiyya community had previously informed the police of a Lahore High Court ruling from April 10, 2023, which stated that Ahmadiyya worship places constructed before 1984, including their minarets and niches, did not require any structural changes. The court ruling, given by Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh in the case of Imran Hameed vs. The State, was presented to the police, but they ignored it and proceeded with the demolition.
A spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya community, Amir Mahmood, condemned the police actions, stating that incidents of desecration targeting Ahmadiyya worship places have been on the rise in recent months, often under pressure from extremist groups. He noted that this was the fourth such incident in October alone where the police, rather than protecting the Ahmadi community, were actively participating in violating their basic human rights and violating court orders.
"These actions seem solely aimed at appeasing extremists," Mahmood said, adding that satisfying one unlawful demand only leads to more. He called on the authorities to take immediate notice of this unlawful behavior and to provide protection for the Ahmadi community, ensuring the safety of their lives, properties, and places of worship.
The continued targeting of the Ahmadi community raises serious concerns about the protection of religious minorities in Pakistan and the role of law enforcement in upholding court rulings and constitutional rights.