In a tragic and heartbreaking incident in central Pakistan, unknown attackers brutally gunned down a member of the minority Ahmadi community on Saturday. This heinous act took place amid a rising tide of violence against this long-persecuted group. The shooting occurred in the Gujarat district of Punjab, the most populous province of the country, as reported by local police officials. The victim, identified as 53-year-old Zaka ur Rehman, was a respected practicing dentist. The assailants swiftly fled the scene, leaving a community in mourning and fear.
Eyewitnesses recounted to the police a chilling scene: two gunmen arrived at Rehman’s clinic on a motorbike, one of them firing multiple shots at close range. Amir Mehmood, a spokesperson for the Ahmadi community, expressed his outrage and sorrow, demanding immediate justice. “We implore Pakistani authorities to apprehend the culprits without delay and ensure they face the full force of the law,” he said.
Rehman’s death marks the fourth such killing of an Ahmadi in Punjab, and indeed the entire country, this year alone. This brutal attack came just two days after a United Nations panel of independent experts condemned the increasing violence against the Ahmadi community and their places of worship. The experts, reporting to the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council, issued a stark warning: “We are deeply alarmed by the ongoing reports of violence and discrimination against the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan. We urge Pakistani authorities to take immediate action to address this dire situation.”
The Ahmadiyya community, founded in 1889, professes to be Muslim, yet has faced relentless persecution. The U.N. experts highlighted the recent spate of killings and expressed grave concern over allegations of arbitrary arrests and detentions aimed at preventing Ahmadis from practicing their faith. “Urgent measures are necessary to respond to these violent attacks and the broader atmosphere of hatred and discrimination that fuels them,” the panel stated emphatically.
While no group has claimed responsibility for this latest atrocity, representatives of the Ahmadi community have pointed fingers at Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP), a far-right Islamist political party known for its vitriolic anti-Ahmadi rhetoric. TLP leaders routinely use incendiary language against Ahmadis during rallies and public gatherings, inciting violence and hatred.
Pakistan’s parliament declared Ahmadis non-Muslim in 1974 and imposed severe restrictions on their religious practices, prohibiting them from “indirectly or directly posing as Muslims.” These legislative measures have been widely criticized for contributing to the rise in violence against Ahmadis. Both domestic and international human rights groups have repeatedly condemned Pakistan for failing to protect its religious minorities, including Christians, from such atrocities.
As the Ahmadi community mourns the loss of yet another member, the call for justice and protection grows louder. The world watches, hoping for a swift and decisive response to end this cycle of violence and discrimination.