Pakistan: Targeted killing of Ahmadi raises alarm over escalating religious violence

Rome, Sep 8 (IANS) The recent killing of Mirza Safdar Mahmood, a 65-year-old Ahmadi Muslim and local official of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan's Punjab province, has renewed concerns over the growing vulnerability of Ahmadis and the persistent threat of religiously motivated violence targeting the community across the country, a report has stated. It noted that previous attacks should have prompted coordinated action through effective policing, community engagement and tighter monitoring of extremist rhetoric. Instead, the lack of such measures has left Ahmadis exposed while emboldening those who seek to intimidate and harm them, according to a report in Italy-based online magazine 'Bitter Winter'. 'Unidentified gunmen killed Mirza Safdar Mahmood, a 65-year-old Ahmadi Muslim and local official of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, in Mandi Bahauddin, Punjab, on 2 September 2026. He was traveling from his automobile repair workshop toward the Ahmadi place of worship known as Bait ul Zikr. The attack occurred near Eid Gah Gate, within the jurisdiction of Mandi Bahauddin's Police Station, and left him dead at the scene. Reports describe assailants opening fire at close range and fleeing immediately afterward," it detailed. The report highlighted that the latest murder is not an isolated incident but follows a pattern of violence against Ahmadis in the same region. On June 8, 2024, two Ahmadis were killed in broad daylight in the Saadullah Pur area of Mandi Bahauddin district in Punjab, prompting calls for stronger security measures and closer scrutiny of anti-Ahmadi agitation. More than two years on, the latest killing raises serious questions over whether those warnings were heeded and whether authorities have done enough to curb the hostility and violence directed at the community, it mentioned 'Community members describe a pattern of threats, harassment, and intimidation that has persisted despite repeated appeals for intervention. They point to sermons, pamphlets, and online messages that circulate openly and contribute to an atmosphere in which Ahmadis are treated as legitimate targets. They see the killing of Mahmood as part of this environment, and fear that further attacks may follow unless decisive action is taken,' Bitter Winter noted. Meanwhile, the United Nations experts expressed grave concern over continued discrimination, violence, and legal restrictions targeting members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Pakistan, while calling on authorities to ensure their safety and uphold the country's international human rights commitments. "We are deeply concerned by persistent reports that members of the Ahmadiyya community continue to face harassment, criminal prosecution, violence, and exclusion because of their religious identity," the experts said. "Every individual has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, or belief. No one should be subjected to discrimination, intimidation, or violence, nor should they be prevented from peacefully manifesting their faith, or face discrimination with respect to any of their human rights," they added. --IANS scor/as