Ahmadi community faces raids, harassment during Eid ul Adha celebrations

The Ahmadi community is once again facing persecution, as recent events have seen their homes raided, fridges inspected, and even meat confiscated under the guise of religious scrutiny on Eid ul Adha.

This crackdown has sparked widespread condemnation and raised serious questions about the state of religious freedom and minority rights in the country on social media.

The latest wave of intolerance targeted at Ahmadis escalated during Eid celebrations, traditionally a time of festivity and religious observance.

Reports indicate that police, acting on complaints from the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a religious group known for its hardline stance, conducted raids on Ahmadi households across several neighbourhoods.

The pretext for these raids was reportedly to ensure that Ahmadi individuals were not engaging in practices deemed "Islamic."

Read also: Ahmadi worship place vandalised by unknown men in Karachi

The methods employed during these raids have raised significant concerns about privacy and religious freedom.

Members of the Ahmadi community were identified through voter lists—a breach of personal information—and subsequently targeted by authorities.

Reports from affected individuals describe intrusive inspections of their fridges and confiscation of meat, activities that were carried out with official sanction.

One particular incident involved a man from Gojra who was charged merely for performing a ritual sacrifice of a goat.

The charges against him included accusations of "portraying himself as a Muslim".

The involvement of law enforcement agencies in enforcing these actions, based on complaints from religious groups like TLP, underscores a disturbing trend of state-sanctioned harassment against Ahmadis.

Such actions not only violate basic human rights but also perpetuate a climate of fear and marginalisation within the community.

In response to these developments, human rights activists and civil society organisations have voiced strong criticism, demanding accountability from authorities and calling for the protection of minority rights guaranteed under Pakistan's Constitution.

Questions about accountability and oversight over law enforcement's actions in such cases have also been raised, as the targeted harassment of Ahmadis raises concerns about who is monitoring the actions of those tasked with upholding law and order.