In broad daylight: Ahmadi leader gunned down in Gujranwala
Luqman Ahmad Shahzad was on the way to his farm from his residence in Bhiri Shah Rehman when he was gunned down
LAHORE:
A 27-year-old leader of the Jamaat-i-Ahmadiyya (JA) was killed on Saturday in Gujranwala allegedly for his beliefs, The Express Tribune has learnt.
JA Spokesperson Saleemuddin said Luqman Ahmad Shahzad was on the way to his farm from his residence in Bhiri Shah Rehman when he was gunned down.
Kot Ladha SHO Malik Fayyaz Ahmed said Shahzad had been shot in the head. He said preliminary investigations had pointed towards two motivations for the killing. Ahmed said Shahzad was the only Ahmadi in his family and his entire family had nursed a grudge against him for converting to Ahmadiyyat. He said a cousin of Shahzad had gotten married for love to a low-caste man. SHO Ahmed said the deceased had reservations regarding the match and had refused to attend his cousin’s nuptials despite being invited by the woman’s brother to attend the wedding. He said Shahzad had admonished his cousin when he had invited him to attend the festivities. SHO Ahmed said he believed that the brother and the cousin of the deceased had orchestrated the killing. He said Shahzad’s brother was keen on being named the complainant but he had nominated the mother of the deceased in that capacity. SHO Ahmed said the deceased had no other known enmity with anyone.
Saleemuddin said the situation for Ahmadis in the country was grim as there had been a spate of violence against members of the community. He said people were routinely incited against Ahmadis and pamphlets, brochures and banners spewing venom against the community were commonplace. He said law enforcement agencies should take action against those responsible for the killing.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2014.
A 27-year-old leader of the Jamaat-i-Ahmadiyya (JA) was killed on Saturday in Gujranwala allegedly for his beliefs, The Express Tribune has learnt.
JA Spokesperson Saleemuddin said Luqman Ahmad Shahzad was on the way to his farm from his residence in Bhiri Shah Rehman when he was gunned down.
Kot Ladha SHO Malik Fayyaz Ahmed said Shahzad had been shot in the head. He said preliminary investigations had pointed towards two motivations for the killing. Ahmed said Shahzad was the only Ahmadi in his family and his entire family had nursed a grudge against him for converting to Ahmadiyyat. He said a cousin of Shahzad had gotten married for love to a low-caste man. SHO Ahmed said the deceased had reservations regarding the match and had refused to attend his cousin’s nuptials despite being invited by the woman’s brother to attend the wedding. He said Shahzad had admonished his cousin when he had invited him to attend the festivities. SHO Ahmed said he believed that the brother and the cousin of the deceased had orchestrated the killing. He said Shahzad’s brother was keen on being named the complainant but he had nominated the mother of the deceased in that capacity. SHO Ahmed said the deceased had no other known enmity with anyone.
Saleemuddin said the situation for Ahmadis in the country was grim as there had been a spate of violence against members of the community. He said people were routinely incited against Ahmadis and pamphlets, brochures and banners spewing venom against the community were commonplace. He said law enforcement agencies should take action against those responsible for the killing.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2014.