At least 28 Ahmadi Muslims arrested in Punjab Province, days before the start of Ramadan

At least 28 Ahmadi Muslims were arrested and 23 others had a criminal case registered against them in three separate incidents in Pakistan’s Punjab Province on 28 February, two days prior to the start of Ramadan in the country.

The International Human Rights Desk (IHRD) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the UK reports that at around 1.30pm on 28 February members of the Tehreek-e-Labaik (TLP) extremist group stormed an Ahmadiyya place of worship in Daska, Sialkot District, chanting anti-Ahmadi slogans at a group of Ahmadis who had gathered for Friday prayers. Police were called to the mosque, however they proceeded to arrest 23 of the Ahmadis who were present, including three minors aged 11, 14 and 17.

After the police officials took the Ahmadis into custody, the mob proceeded to protest outside the police station where they were being held, demanding that the authorities register a criminal case against them. The police later released the 11-year-old child, however a First Information Report (FIR) was filed against the remaining members of the group under Section 298-C of the Pakistani Penal Code, 1860, which is routinely used to target religious minorities. At the time of writing 22 of the group are being held in Central Jail, Sialkot.

Earlier the same day, at around 2am, police officials were captured on video attempting to demolish the minaret of the Bait-ul-Zikr Mosque in Madrasa Chatha, Gujranwala District. The officials refused to provide identification when challenged by residents to do so, and soon a contingent of approximately 200 police officers was bussed into the village upon which they took five Ahmadis and four others into custody at the Alipur Chatha police station.

Police officials later returned to the mosque, which was established in 1904, and removed the minaret using a grinder. The police have also indicated that they plan to return to the mosque to demolish the remaining minarets.

In a third development, a case has been registered against 23 Ahmadis from Bhagtanwala, Sargodha District, for offering Friday prayers. No arrests have been made, however extremists have reportedly staged a sit-in outside the Bhagtanwala police station, demanding the closure of the group’s place of worship.

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.

The IHRD reports that 91 Ahmadi graves have been desecrated in 2025 alone, and that police have facilitated the destruction of minarets and prayer niches in five Ahmadi mosques.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘CSW condemns this latest wave of repression of Pakistan’s Ahmadiyya Muslim community. We call for the immediate release of all those who have been arrested for the simple exercise of their religious beliefs, and for the Pakistani authorities to end the practices of the desecration or closure of Ahmadi places of worship. We further call on the government of Pakistan to repeal legislation which restricts the fundamental human rights of this community, and to ensure that members of the Tehreek-e-Labaik and others responsible for inciting hatred towards Ahmadis are brought to justice.’

Note to Editors:

1. Section 298-C of the Pakistani Penal Code, 1860, states that any Ahmadi who ‘directly or indirectly poses himself a Muslim or calls, or refers to his faith as Islam, or preaches or propagates his faith, or invites other to accept his faith, by words, either spoken or written or by visible representation or in any manner whatsoever outrages religious feelings of Muslims shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to a fine.’