SARGODHA: An enraged mob on the night of April 16 destroyed the minarets and dome of an Ahmadiyya place of worship in Ghughiat, Sargodha.
A spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya community stated that the attack on the nearly 120-year-old religious site occurred in the presence of the police, causing great concern among the Ahmadiyya community.
The community has termed the desecration of their worship place in full view of law enforcement agencies a violation of the Constitution of Pakistan, as well as a 2014 judgement penned by Justice Tasadduq Hussain Jilani which declared that attacking and demolishing Ahmadiyya worship places by mobs and government officials is against the law and should be stopped immediately.
The persecution of the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan, particularly in the Punjab Province, has been on the rise in recent years.
In the first four months of 2023, at least 10 incidents of violence were reported against the Ahmadiyya community, including vandalising the places of worship and desecration of Ahmadi graves under the supervision of the police.
