From lawyers to police, an unprecedented campaign is underway to prevent Ahmadis from celebrating Eid
Members of the small Muslim group are being denied the right to celebrate the Feast of Sacrifice in Pakistan. A multi-actor movement that includes extremist organisations and public bodies is behind it. A Jamaat Ahmadiya representative spoke to AsiaNews about the “discriminatory treatment” they receive, “and violations of our fundamental rights”.
Lahore (AsiaNews) – Once again, Pakistan’s long-persecuted Ahmadi community faces an imminent and serious danger in connection with this year’s Eid-ul-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice. This, experts explain, is partly facilitated by the authorities, who have failed to stem rapidly escalating wave of violence.
In fact, a broadly based movement has emerged, including bar associations in at least nine districts and the country’s four provinces, extremist organisations, trade associations, and police in more than 35 districts.
This unprecedented campaign involving these multiple actors, is seeking to prevent Ahmadis from celebrating Qurbani and the prayers scheduled for the second most important holiday in the Muslim calendar after Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting and prayer.
The deputy commissioner of Nankana Sahib, for example, publicly announced on official social media that the Muslim minority, considered "heretical" by mainstream Islam, will not be allowed to celebrate Qurbani.
Likewise, information gathered in the various districts by members of the Ahmadi community documents specific actions by the police and local authorities in more than 35 districts in all four provinces as well as Azad Kashmir.
Police have reportedly imposed surety bonds in several districts, while bar associations in Lahore, Kasur, Zafarwal, Balakot, Peshawar, Khushab, Daska, Karachi, and Azad Kashmir have submitted formal requests to the police to halt Ahmadi celebrations.
Extremist organisations, including the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and other activist networks, have launched online hate speech campaigns.
A butchers' association in Rawalpindi has ordered its members to refuse any service to members of the community.
According to human rights groups, this coordinated, multi-actor campaign is worrying and requires an urgent and decisive response from the federal government because it violates Ahmadis’ constitutional rights.
The Ahmadis (about 2 per cent of Pakistan's population) are a religious movement in Islam that arose in the second half of the 19th century. Its founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, saw himself as a prophet. Since he appeared after Muhammad, Sunnis consider Ahmadis as heretical.
They are the most persecuted community in the country. According to a 2018 report, between 1984 and 2017, 260 Ahmadis were killed, 27 religious sites demolished, another 33 closed, 22 torched or damaged, and 17 forcibly occupied.
In 2025, four criminal cases were filed against Ahmadis for performing Eid sacrifices in the districts of Sargodha, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Gujrat. The previous year, complaints were filed against members of this Muslim community in more than 50 locations across the country.
Furthermore, in 18 districts, police reportedly imposed surety bonds on Ahmadis, requiring them not to perform Eid sacrifices, while in another 20 locations, they encountered difficulties and obstacles in organising gatherings.
Aamir Mahmood, a spokesperson for Jamaat Ahmadiya, talked to AsiaNews about the situation.
“In Pakistan,” he explained, “Ahmadis continue to face restrictions on their religious freedoms. Despite these challenges, the Ahmadi community has consistently practised its religious traditions”. Unfortunately, “in recent years, a troubling new pattern has emerged: Ahmadis have reportedly faced legal cases for performing Eid sacrifices, have been pressured into signing written undertakings, and have even been prevented from offering Eid prayers.
Overall, “These developments,” he stressed, “reflect a growing concern regarding the protection of religious liberty in the country. We therefore call upon the State of Pakistan, in accordance with Article 20 of the Constitution of Pakistan, to uphold and ensure the religious freedoms of Ahmadis as well as all Pakistani citizens, so that every individual may have the right to live and practise their faith in peace and dignity.
“If one studies the history of Pakistan, it becomes clear that Ahmadis have never been involved in acts of violence or civil unrest, nor have they ever sought to undermine the peace and stability of the country,” Aamir Mahmood said. “We respect the Constitution of Pakistan and remain committed to acting within the framework of the law. At the same time, we reserve the right to raise our voice peacefully against discriminatory treatment and violations of our fundamental rights.
“The Ahmadi community has never been involved in any activity that promotes terrorism or extremism. We are a peaceful community and believe in coexistence, dialogue, and loyalty to our homeland,” the Ahmadi spokesperson added. “We therefore hope that the state will also treat us with fairness and compassion, facilitate us in peacefully practising our religious traditions, and ensure complete protection and security for our community and our religious freedoms”.
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