Ahmadi community members have little faith in the government.PHOTO: FILE
Tragedy struck an Ahmedi family in Nawabshah once again when the son was shot at by an unidentified man only a few years after his father was killed.
The victim A*, who is a lawyer, was at his brother’s shop - taking a break from his morning work at the district courts - when a man walked up to him, opened fire and disappeared into the crowd. The incident took place at Liaquat Market Road on April 2, according to the victim’s cousin, K.
“I heard a gunshot and when I reached on the spot a few people were trying to take him to the hospital in a rickshaw,” the cousin recalled. “He might have been targeted because of his religious beliefs as he had no personal enmity.” Initially, A was rushed to Civil Hospital, Nawabshah, but was later moved to Karachi.
“The bullet pierced his liver and the doctors have removed the affected part in a surgery,” said MA Khan, a spokesperson for Ahmediya community, “The bleeding hasn’t stopped until now.” The doctors feel, however, that he is recovering.
K remembered the suspect was in his 30s with a beard and a scarf on his shoulder. He noticed the same man watching the shop and their house, located near the shop, closely a few days before the shooting took place.
“Since A survived, we know the attackers are just waiting for an opportunity to kill him,” feared K. “We’ll have to move him to an undisclosed location.”
The community’s spokesperson said that more and more people are leaving the area because of such incidents. “The administration does not take our problems seriously.”
Khan told The Express Tribune said that the police have yet to any take action besides demanding the victim’s statement. They haven’t arrested anyone or even seized the bullet casing from the crime scene, he added. “Why haven’t we been provided protection before when similar incidents have taken place,” he said, adding that at least seven Ahmedis have been killed in over a decade in Nawabshah alone.
The community members have little faith in the government. “This is the constituency of the president of Pakistan and we have been living in a constant state of fear,” said Khan. “We have yet to see the day when justice is served to our community but until then, at least give us our right to pray.” The Nawabshah Bar Association observed a strike to condemn the incident.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 6th, 2013.
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@Imran Ahsan Mirza: My dear Ahmadi brother please reread my post again. I have not said that Ahmadis have resorted to violence in reply to the persecution heaped upon the community by Non Ahmadi Muslims. I'm taking about hatred and violence within the community, by an Ahmadi on an Ahmadi and the possibility of this incident to be one such. I myself and my family have gone through similar so don't condescend me. The reason you're probably ignorant to it is because such incidents are hushed up to protect the over all persecuted image of Jamaat. Or maybe you are from among those who hush it up and stop from being conveyed it to Khalifa tul Masih V.
An Ahmadi Halka Model Colony, Karachi
Quite sad. Quite sad indeed.
@Xulfjan: This incident happened in Sindh not Punjab, so Shahbaz Sharif has nothing to do with it.
@An Ahmadi abused by fellow Ahmadis: Ahmadis do not resort to violence. The community has remained extraordinarily peaceful during the times of great upheaval in Pakistan, therefore, your suspicion cannot be entertained blaming Ahmadis themselves. Also considering numerous Ahmadis were killed in Nawabshah in the past 4-5 years by religious zealots including the father of the victim. Only last year a 78 year Ahmadi was killed and his grandson critically injured by such an opportunistic attack while they were returning from their shop at the close of business.
Would Shahbaz Sharif stand up and tell us what did he do in 5 years to protect the minorities before I would consider worthy of my vote? For once he cant blame Zardari for the mess Punjab had been under his rule.
While condemning this at any level possible I would also like to bring to notice that enmities within our community runs high too and so should not be ruled out. Over the years many revenge murders have occurred within too but have been hushed up to prevent jamaat's image from being besmirched publicly, given that majority of outsiders already hate us to death. My question to jamaat's elders (uhdedaars) and preachers (murabis) has always been that why such hatred, discrimination, overt conservationism and selective application of religion is present within jamaat too instead of being united together and doing away with such practices. Why don't they highlight such issues instead of shrugging them away.
An Ahmadi Halka Model Colony, Karachi
These atrocities against Ahmadis and other peaceful communities are increasing day by day. It is very hard to get justice for the marginalized Pakistanis because not only the common people but the civil society and authorities are giving up against the extremist ideology. Bigotry and prejudice is not limited to sectarian groups anymore. The most disturbing aspect is the regularly used of religion for fascism. Unfortunately, use and abuse of religion is not limited to the pseudo-religious parties and their followers but the impotent administration itself - a very sad and unfortunate state of Pakistani society and her custodians.
Killing based on Faith or any other reason is shamefull and equally condemnable