Tragedy Strikes: Ahmadi Community Member Killed Amidst Religious Tensions in Karachi

A member of Pakistan's Ahmadi minority, Laeeq Cheema, was beaten to death by a mob allegedly linked to the radical Islamist party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, near an Ahmadi place of worship in Karachi. The incident, amid demonstrations, highlights ongoing tensions and violence against the Ahmadi community in Pakistan.

A member of the minority Ahmadi community in Pakistan was reportedly beaten to death by an Islamist mob in Karachi on Friday. The victim, identified as Laeeq Cheema, succumbed to his injuries before receiving hospital care, according to Amir Mahmood, an Ahmadi community spokesperson.

Mahmood accused the mob, allegedly from the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party, of attacking near an Ahmadi place of worship. Senior Karachi police officer Asad Raza noted that extra police were deployed ahead of the TLP rally to prevent unrest. Raza stated that the attack on Cheema occurred away from the worship site and investigations were ongoing to identify the attackers.

Video evidence provided by Mahmood showed crowds chanting anti-Ahmadi slogans. The TLP has gained prominence by organizing protests and advocating for Pakistan's contentious blasphemy laws. Pakistan declared Ahmadis non-Muslims in 1974, and they have since faced persistent violence and discrimination.

(With inputs from agencies.)