On the night between September 19th and 20th, 2024, unidentified individuals desecrated the graves of three Ahmadis in the Goi Batali (Sanyara) cemetery, located in the Kotli district of Azad Kashmir. The cemetery contains eight Ahmadi graves, four of which had inscriptions. The inscriptions on three of these graves were removed. Local authorities visited the graveyard and have registered a case against unknown perpetrators.
In addition, pressure is being mounted by opponents of the Ahmadiyya community on the administration concerning the Goi Sharqi Kotli cemetery. Extremists had previously issued a three-day ultimatum, demanding that the government remove the Ahmadi tombstones by Friday. They warned that if the administration failed to comply, a group would visit the cemetery en masse to take matters into their own hands.
It is important to note that on March 7th and 8th, 2024, unidentified individuals similarly desecrated the tombstones of eight Ahmadis in Goi (Barmuch), Kotli, Azad Kashmir, and took the broken tombstones with them. A few days later, on March 12th, the same area witnessed another attack in which the tombstones of two more Ahmadis were broken and taken away.
These deplorable incidents targeting patriotic Ahmadis in Pakistan are both immoral and illegal. They not only cause deep distress to any decent person but also tarnish the country’s reputation in the international community. The government must take immediate and decisive action to curb such acts of religious extremism and ensure justice is served.