Ahmadi Minarets Demolished Under Pressure from Radical Islamist Group

Pakistani authorities demolished the minarets of a 54-year-old Ahmadi worship place in Punjab province under pressure from the radical Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbiak Pakistan (TLP). The Ahmadi community in Pakistan continues to face severe persecution, with law enforcement agencies often disregarding court orders protecting their places of worship.

Pakistani authorities on Wednesday demolished the minarets of a 54-year-old worship place belonging to the minority Ahmadi community in Punjab province, an official from Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Pakistan reported.

Police personnel, influenced by the radical Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbiak Pakistan (TLP), were observed tearing down the minarets of the Ahmadi worship site in Lahore's Jahman Burki area.

Amir Mahmood, an official from Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Pakistan, informed PTI that Ahmadis continue to face relentless persecution in the country, with the latest incident being the desecration of the minarets in Jahman, Lahore.

Mahmood stated that the demolition was carried out by a dozen uniformed policemen and four in civilian attire early Wednesday morning, reflecting a blatant disregard for Lahore High Court orders which state that Ahmadi worship places built before 1984 should remain unaltered.

Constructed in 1970, the worship site has been under threat from radical Islamists since last year, with Mahmood noting that at least 42 Ahmadi worship places in Pakistan were attacked in the past year alone.

The Ahmadi community, while considering themselves Muslims, was declared non-Muslim by Pakistan's Parliament in 1974 and later restricted from practicing aspects of Islam. These restrictions include constructing minarets or domes on mosques and publicly displaying Quranic verses.

TLP activists have frequently targeted Ahmadi worship sites, and in several incidents, police, under pressure from religious extremists, have demolished minarets, arches, and sacred inscriptions.

Despite a 2014 Supreme Court ruling by Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani calling for a Special Task Force to protect worship places, police often prioritize appeasing radical elements over adhering to protective mandates.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)