Controversial Demolition of Ahmadi Worship Site Sparks Outrage in Pakistan

Police in Punjab, Pakistan, dismantled a 45-year-old Ahmadi worship site under pressure from an Islamist party. Despite local and legal opposition, officers demolished its minarets, allegedly due to growing religious tensions. Ahmadis face discrimination nationwide, as policies restrict their religious practices.

In a contentious move, police in Punjab, Pakistan, allegedly razed a 45-year-old worship site belonging to the Ahmadi minority, following mounting pressure from the radical Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), according to community representatives on Wednesday.

The site, located in Bahawalnagar, approximately 400 km from Lahore, has been at the center of a three-year dispute, with extremists demanding the removal of its minarets. Under this external pressure, police reportedly confiscated the mobile phones of Ahmadis at the location and then carried out the demolition under the cover of darkness.

The controversial action has been widely condemned. The Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Pakistan (JAP) accused officers of acting unlawfully and bypassing a Lahore High Court ruling that prohibits alterations to worship places built before 1984. International entities like Amnesty International have urged Pakistan to cease these persecutions and uphold religious freedoms.

(With inputs from agencies.)