UN human rights experts on Thursday pressured the Pakistani government to implement more proactive measures to prevent “extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and assaults on cemeteries and places of worship” of religious minorities.
“We are shocked at reports of increasing violence against vulnerable communities on grounds of their religion or belief,” experts stated. They claimed mass targeting of minors and persons with disabilities in Sargodha, Daska, and Pasrur has led to continued human rights violations. Women detained on blasphemy charges face significant risks of gender-based harm. Ahmadiyya Muslims have been particularly targeted.
The report also argued that criminal sentencing in these cases has failed to reflect the gravity of offenses, allowing many individuals to avoid justice. Experts urged the government to repeal blasphemy laws in order to curb the trend.
Last year, “vigilante violence” led to the death of Nazir Masih, 72, a Pakistani Christian targeted by a mob for allegedly desecrating the pages of a Quran. In 2017, similar group violence led to the killing of a journalism student in his dorm. According to the UN, at least 65 individuals have been extrajudicially killed as a result of blasphemy accusations since 1990.
Experts emphasized how Ahmadiyya Muslims face particular discrimination in this social climate. The group has endured repeated human rights violations, such as killings, deaths in custody, and arbitrary detention, along with various closures and destructions of mosques.
Founded in 1889 by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Ahmadis have routinely suffered persecution in both Muslim and non-Muslim majority countries due to their unorthodox views of Islamic prophethood. During the recent Eid-ul-Adha celebration, known as the “festival of sacrifice” and one of the many holy events for Muslims globally, local and regional authorities across Pakistan forced Ahmadis to sign affidavits pledging to refrain from participating in Eid prayers and rituals, and ordering police to enforce the policy.
Ahmadiyya Muslims are not currently afforded constitutional protection under Pakistani law. Sections 298-B and 298-C of the Penal Code prohibit them from calling themselves Muslim or performing Islamic rites. New media regulations and inflammatory language from politicians, such as State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan, label Ahmadis as “agents of chaos” and incite more hatred toward the group.
An official 2023 census estimated Ahmadis to number around 162,684, though community sources estimate there to be between 400,000 to 600,000. Experts point out that exact Ahmadi numbers are difficult to calculate due to the fear of persecution.
The right to freedom of religion, including the freedom to profess one’s religion, is recognized under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
