Ahmadi killed in suspected religiously motivated attack in Punjab Province

A 65-year-old member of the Ahmadi community was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the city of Mandi Bahauddin, Punjab Province, Pakistan on 2 September.

According to police reports, Mirza Safdar Mahmood was returning home after closing the vehicle workshop that he ran when two unidentified men allegedly followed him before opening fire on him when he reached the main road near the central Eidgah at around 6.30pm. Mr Mahmood sustained critical gunshot wounds and died at the scene. The two assailants fled after the shooting.

Soon after receiving information about the incident, city police Station House Officer Tarar reached the scene along with a police contingent and personnel from other law enforcement agencies. Police took the deceased’s body into custody, collected evidence from the crime scene, and have begun an investigation.

The District Police Officer of Mandi Bahauddin, Lieutenant (retd) Kamran Amir Khan, told Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper that the initial investigation suggested that the incident appeared to be a targeted killing. Mr Mahmood had no known enmity and is survived by his wife and two sons.

Pakistan’s Ahmadiyya community is the most institutionally and constitutionally oppressed religious group in the country. Various laws categorise the Ahmadiyya community as ‘non-Muslims’ and place restrictions on the community, including a 1974 constitutional amendment, and Sections 298-B and C of the penal code. In June 2026 three Ahmadis were injured in a religiously motivated attack in the city of Rabwah, also in Punjab Province.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘CSW is outraged by the senseless murder of Mirza Safdar Mahmood in Mandi Bahauddin, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. His murder is part of a distressing trend of targeted violence against Ahmadis who are subjected to relentless violence and systematic oppression, often with little accountability for perpetrators. The Pakistani government must take urgent action to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the protection of Ahmadi Muslims and all religious minorities. CSW also calls on the international community to hold Pakistan accountable for its failure to meet international human rights obligations.’

Note to Editors:

1. An Eidgah is a large open space or ground that is generally used for Eid prayers. In many cases such spaces are provided or designated by the government.