On August 19, thousands of supporters from various religious-political groups breached security in Islamabad’s ‘Red Zone’ to reach the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP).
The breach was primarily caused by the Aalmi Majlis Tahaffuz-i-Nabuwat group, which was protesting the SCP’s judgment in the Mubarik Ahmad Sani case.[1] On July 24, a three-member bench led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa ruled that Ahmadis are entitled to practice their faith in the privacy of their homes, places of worship, and certain private institutions, subject to reasonable legal restrictions.[2]
The court emphasized that the right to religious freedom, as enshrined in Pakistan’s constitution, is “subject to law, morality, and public order.” In response, several Islamic groups and the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), a constitutional body, vehemently condemned the judgment, accusing the apex court of granting Ahmadis, who are considered ‘non-Muslims’ in Pakistan, the freedom to propagate their religion.[3] The CII argued that Ahmadis should be prohibited from practicing their faith even in private settings.[4]
Sunni radical groups have demanded that the federal government file a reference against the three judges, including Chief Justice Isa, accusing them of “siding with Ahmadis,” and have filed review petitions to overturn Mubarak Sani’s bail. More significantly, the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government has fully supported the demands of the Islamic groups and has submitted an application seeking the removal of “certain portions” from the SCP’s July 24, 2024, order in the Mubarak Ahmad Sani case.[5] As a result, the issue has further intensified anti-Ahmadiyya sentiments in the country and deepened the rift between the judiciary and the federal government. There is growing anger against the three SCP judges, who are reportedly receiving death threats from radical organizations like Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). The government has not taken action on their complaints. Moreover, the military establishment has remained silent on the issue, which suggests their tacit support for the right-wing Islamist groups and their well-known anti-Ahmadiyya stance.
During an All-Parties Conference (APC) organized by the World Council of Tahafuz-e-Khatm-e-Nabuwat on August 14, it was announced that a ‘plan of action’ concerning the SCP ruling would be revealed at Minar-e-Pakistan on September 7.[6] Islamic organizations and CII are expected to escalate the matter in the coming days, possibly demanding Chief Justice’s resignation and the re-arrest of Mubarik Sani. It is noteworthy that Sani, an Ahmadi, was accused of allegedly violating the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act 2021 by distributing the proscribed book Tafseer-e-Sagheer. The Supreme Court, in its February 2024 ruling, pointed out that the alleged act had occurred in 2019, prior to the enactment of the 2021 amendment, and noted that the maximum punishment for the offense was six months, whereas Sani had already been imprisoned for over 13 months.[7] This entire incident appears to be part of a well-orchestrated conspiracy against the minority Ahmadiyya community, with both the federal government and radical Sunni groups seemingly complicit.
Religious minorities in Pakistan are currently fighting for their survival as the country increasingly leans towards Islamic conservatism. According to Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), 193 incidents of violence against religious minorities occurred in Pakistan last year.[8] Among these, Christians were targeted in 113 incidents, Ahmadis—a Muslim sect considered heretical by Islamic hardliners—were victims in 42 cases, Hindus faced violence in 37 instances, and there was one incident involving Sikhs. Many human rights activists in Pakistan believe the actual figures are much higher than the reported cases of persecution against minorities. Similarly, the U.S. State Department’s 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices noted that Pakistan’s courts often fail to protect the rights of religious minorities against Muslims “who accuse them of violating the country’s stringent blasphemy laws.”[9] Additionally, it is well-known that radical groups in Pakistan frequently pressure the courts to adopt anti-minority stances, particularly in cases involving the Ahmadiyya community.
According to Zohra Yusuf, a rights activist, journalist, and former chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), the Ahmadiyya community is the most persecuted in Pakistan, “with their places of worship and graveyards regularly coming under attack.” The 2021 United States Commission on International Religious Freedom report also highlighted that “many Muslims consider Ahmadiyya Muslims to be heretics.”[10] Similarly, the 2023 Human Rights Watch (HRW) report on Pakistan noted that militant groups and the Sunni-Barelvi political party TLP accuse Ahmadis of “posing as Muslims.”[11] This belief has been a major trigger for the recent agitation against the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Mubarik Sani case. Sunni radical groups aim to completely ostracize the Ahmadiyya community, seeking to prevent them from practicing their faith even in private or within their religious institutions.
Notably, the legal persecution of Ahmadis in Pakistan is accompanied by targeted attacks on their community members. The HRW report mentions an August 2023 mob attack on a factory owned by an Ahmadi in Lahore, where he was accused of blasphemy. Instead of prosecuting the attackers, state authorities charged eight members of the Ahmadi community with blasphemy. In the most recent incident on August 21, Narowal police arrested an Ahmadi man and filed charges against three other community members on the alleged grounds of burning pages of the Holy Quran. According to media reports, a local leader of the Jamaat Ahle Sunnat Pakistan claimed that he “saw four men allegedly burning some papers on a garbage heap.”[12]
The timing of this incident is significant, as Sunni radical groups and the federal government continue to pressure the Supreme Court of Pakistan over the Mubarik Sani case. Analysts suggest that the SCP may come under increased pressure and could potentially remove the controversial portions from its July 24 order before September 7. However, this situation might spark a new wave of targeted violence against members of the Ahmadiyya community, potentially leading to further human rights violations against religious minorities in Pakistan.
Sources:
[1] https://english.aaj.tv/news/330375367/religio-political-parties-protesters-attempt-to-reach-supreme-court
[2] https://www.dawn.com/news/1847874
[3] https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1213524-madressah-body-myc-reject-sc-verdict-in-mubarak-sani-case
[4] https://www.dawn.com/news/1851021/council-of-islamic-ideology-seeks-review-of-sc-verdict-in-mubarak-sani-case
[5] https://tribune.com.pk/story/2488945/govt-seeks-to-modify-apex-courts-sani-case-ruling#google_vignette
[6] https://tribune.com.pk/story/2487932/apc-urges-sc-to-review-sani-case-ruling
[7] https://voicepk.net/2024/07/mubarak-sani-case-sc-upholds-rights-of-ahmadis-with-conditions-rejects-bail-annulment/
[8] https://www.ucanews.com/news/pakistan-criticized-for-failing-to-protect-minorities/104892
[9] https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/
[10] https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2021-10/2021%20Ahmadiyya%20Persecution%20Factsheet.pdf
[11] https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2024/country-chapters/pakistan
[12] https://www.dawn.com/news/1853595/ahmadi-man-held-three-booked-on-blasphemy-charge-in-narowal
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