CTD crackdown: State Department voices concern over Rabwah raid

He urged the government to protect religious freedom of all members of its population


News Desk December 10, 2016

The United States has expressed concern over a recent police raid at the headquarters of Jamaat Ahmadiyya in Punjab’s Kasur district and urged the government to protect the religious freedom and rights of minorities.

“We are obviously very concerned about these reports and the Counter Terrorism Department raided the international headquarters of the Ahmadiyya [community]…and arrested four individuals for publishing literature,” said State Department deputy spokesperson Mark Toner.

Toner further said, “We have regularly noted our concerns about these laws that restrict peaceful religious expression, in particular by the Ahmadiyya community in our international religious freedom report.” The spokesperson said the US believed such laws were inconsistent with Pakistan’s international obligations. He urged the government to protect religious freedom of all members of its population. Separately, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) condemned the raid on the publications and audit offices of the community.



On December 6, the CTD conducted a raid on the community’s headquarters and arrested four members. According to the FIR, officials conducted the raid to stop printing of ‘banned’ magazines, although the matter remains pending before LHC.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11th, 2016.

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