Zafarullah Khan, the first foreign minister of Pakistan, was a resident of Daska Tehsil of Sialkot District. His Dera, which was built before the creation of Pakistan, is in Old Daska. Zafarullah Khan, who belonged to the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, had arranged for the education and training of his religion at this camp and built a minaret on its main entrance gate and roof.
Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan’s objections to these minarets and the nearby Ahmadi graveyard have given rise to a new controversy.
At a distance of eight hundred meters from the old Daska, the Daska canal flows, on the left side of which is the new kitchen. After crossing the Daska canal bridge, two villages on the right are Bharuke Kalan and Musawala. Many Ahmadi families lived in both of them until 20 years ago, but most of them have now moved to European countries.
Five percent of the population in Bharuke Kalan is Ahmadi, while the proportion of people belonging to Ahle Hadith and Ahle Sunnah wa Jamaat is 10 and 85 percent respectively.
The Ahmadiyya graveyard is in front of Nai Kachheri which is called Bharuke Kalan Wala Graveyard.
Not long ago, Amir Hamza of Tutianwala, Old Daska, requested the Assistant Commissioner that on July 18, 2023, he was passing near the camp of Sir Zafarullah Khan Sahi (former foreign minister), where he saw a mosque-like minaret and a dome. When we went inside, we found that it was a place of worship and madrassa of the Ahmadiyya/Lahori group.
They have built their place of worship like a mosque, which is hurting the sentiments of Muslims. In his request, Amir Hamza asked Assistant Commissioner Daska to finish the minaret of this place of worship.
On July 23, 2023, Junaid Amjad Butt of Kalan Daska of Bharuk submitted an application to the Assistant Commissioner stating that Islamic words were written on the books placed on the graves of the Ahmadiyya/Lahori group in the graveyard. These books should be taken down and action should be taken against those responsible according to law.
It is said that these two citizens who submitted applications are related to Tehreek Labeek.
Due to the non-action of the administration on the requests, the Daska unit of this party took out a protest rally on 22nd September 2023 from College Chowk Chongi No. 6, which staged a dharna outside the office of DSP Daska. After negotiations with the protesters’ delegation, the administration assured that the camp’s minarets would be removed before 12 Rabi’ul Awwal.
Tehreek Labeek warned that if the administration does not do this by September 29 i.e. 12 Rabiul Awwal, the protestors will be forced to remove the books and the minaret themselves.
Meanwhile, in the Ahmadiyya cemetery in the village of Bharuke Kalan, unknown persons broke the inscriptions on dozens of graves, which had Islamic words written on them.
Ahmadis alleged on social media that the administration and the police have torn the inscriptions on the graves in their presence while violating the sanctity of the cemetery.
Mudassar Mirza (pseudonym) belongs to Ahmadiyya Jamaat and is a resident of Daska city.
He said that he is afraid of threats from religious parties.
“Students belonging to the Ahmadiyya Jamaat are afraid to go to educational institutions and businessmen to go about their business. Due to threats, people of the Jamaat have been forced to worship at home instead of in the synagogue.”
Mirza Farhan, 35, of Bharuke Kalan, says that some miscreants are trying to disrupt law and order for personal interests.
Fazal Haque Soltani, the patron of Tehreek-e-Labeek in Sialkot, said that his group did not attack their places of worship, nor did they vandalize the books on the graves in the minarets or graveyards.
We have drawn the attention of the administration using our constitutional and legal right.”
Local lawyer Babar Afzal says that in the constitution and law of Pakistan, religious freedom has been given to people belonging to all religions with basic rights. If the members of a group have reservations against religious parties and administration, they should approach the courts of Pakistan.
District Police Sialkot spokesperson Khurram Shahzad confirmed that two citizens had given applications to the administration. Police asked Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan and Ahmadis to play a positive role in maintaining law and order. After hearing the stand from both sides, the administration also instructed them to approach the court as per the law.
He said that both the groups have approached the local court to seek justice.
It should be noted that relatives of Sir Zafarullah Khan living in Old Daska and people associated with Ahmadiyya Jamaat have been moving to foreign countries at different times since the establishment of Pakistan and now only two to three dozen such families are living there.