The Ahmadiyya community has raised concerns over the Gujranwala police demolishing minarets at two of their worship sites during the nights of October 10 and 11. This action, according to the community, directly violates April 10, 2023, Lahore High Court (LHC) ruling by Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh, which prohibits the demolition of any places of worship constructed before 1984.
Amir Mehmood, the Ahmadiyya spokesperson, voiced his frustration, saying, “How long will the Punjab Police keep violating the rights of Ahmadis under pressure from extremists?”
Details reveal that in the first incident, police targeted a worship site in Gakhar Mandi, built-in 1953. Around 1:15 a.m., 10 to 15 policemen, led by the local security in-charge, arrived at the site and demanded the keys from the guard. When he refused, they scaled the walls, broke open the door to a room adjacent to the main hall, and settled in the courtyard. They then disabled the security cameras, blocked the surrounding road with police vehicles, demolished the minarets, and took the rubble with them.
Shortly after, another worship site in Mohlinke Chatha, constructed in 1954, was also attacked. At around 2:15 p.m., six officers from the Ahmednagar Chitha police station climbed onto the roof with a ladder and destroyed the minarets. They confiscated debris and a local community member’s mobile phone, releasing him only after the demolition was complete.
Mehmood noted that religious extremists had been pressuring the police to destroy these sites. Even when reminded of the LHC’s ruling, the police ignored it and proceeded with the demolitions. He also highlighted similar incidents nationwide, where police were involved in defacing Ahmadiyya places of worship and even gravestones.
“This is the fourth such incident in October alone,” Mehmood said. “The police seem more concerned with pleasing extremists. If their demands continue to be met, they will never stop. The government must act immediately to safeguard the lives, properties, and places of worship of Ahmadis.”
He also recalled earlier incidents in Gujranwala, where Ahmadis faced harassment. For instance, during Eid-ul-Azha, police arrested Dr. Tahir Ahmad, allegedly for raising a three-month-old goat, and Zaheer Ahmad was detained without a warrant on Eid day.
