27 Ahmadis Arrested for Offering Friday Prayers in Punjab
Lahore, March 2, 2025 – Pakistani authorities, along with members of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), detained 27 members of the Ahmadiyya community in a private room where Jumma prayers were held. The imam leading the prayers has been charged under Section 298-C of Pakistan’s Penal Code, which prohibits Ahmadis from practicing their faith openly. The arrests come days after the demolition of a historic Ahmadi mosque in Daska, originally built before Pakistan’s independence by Sir Zafarullah Khan, a celebrated leader who played a key role in Pakistan’s independence and later became its first Foreign Minister. Despite his services, the Ahmadi community continues to face systematic persecution.
Legal & Human Rights Concerns
The incident has sparked outrage from human rights activists, lawyers, and activists who are querying the legality of the arrests. Freedom of worship is a constitutional right, yet members of a marginalized community have been arrested for praying. What law forbids citizens from praying at their own prayer rooms? There are growing demands on Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to take immediate action and get all the detained persons released and the FIR lodged under Section 298-C of the PPC withdrawn. A Mounting Climate of Religious Persecution
The growing religious intolerance in Pakistan has been condemned inside and outside the country. The human rights campaigners warn this state-backed persecution is leading the country towards international condemnation and domestic strife. As extremism continues to entrench itself further, many fear Pakistan is reaching the point of no return. The state must act immediately to protect religious minorities, provide justice, and prevent the nation from splitting further.