Hong Kong, May 28 (IANS) A UK-based Christian organisation and rights group has voiced concerns over the restrictions faced by Ahmadis on celebrating Eid al-Adha in Pakistan.
Cecil Shane Chaudhry, South Asia Deputy Team Leader at the UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), condemned the restrictions imposed on Ahmadi community, terming it “unfortunate” that every year the Ahmadi community face such restrictions from non-state actors and state institutions, a report in Union of Catholic Asian (UCA) News highlighted.
Chaudhry said that it was hoped that ban on extremist groups would improve the situation this year. However, he noted, there was state involvement in restricting Ahmadis from celebrating Eid. He urged the Pakistan government to uphold freedom of religion or belief for every person and respect their rights.
Orthodox Muslim groups in Pakistan regard Ahmadis, a group that emerged in British India in the 19th century and identify as Muslim, as heretical. Ahmadis are not allowed to identify themselves as Muslims or using Islamic symbols in their religious practice, according to a report in Union of Catholic Asian (UCA) News
Amir Mehmood, a spokesman for the community, has accused even the local police of confiscating goats from Ahmadi residents in Karachi.
Mehmood said that his community, comprising 162,684 Ahmadis in Pakistan, according to the 2023 census, has been facing harassment in Pakistan. He said that Ahmadis are summoned to police stations and forced to give undertakings that they will not sacrifice animals or organise Eid gatherings, as per the report.
In March, a leading minority rights group highlighted that members of the Ahmadi community were prevented from offering Eid prayers in several districts of Pakistan’s Punjab province.
According to the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), police deployments, administrative barriers, and the looming threat of legal consequences ensured that gatherings were either disrupted or did not take place.
“This repetition is what makes the situation especially troubling. These are not isolated incidents or sudden lapses — they are part of a consistent, almost predictable reality. Year after year, Ahmadis face the same restrictions, the same pressures, and the same message: that their participation in public religious life is not permitted,” the VOPM stated.
“The roots of this pattern lie in Pakistan’s legal framework, which formally restricts Ahmadi religious practices. Over time, these laws have shaped not only policy but also public attitudes, normalising discrimination and enabling local authorities to act against the community with little resistance. What is enforced on paper translates into lived experiences of fear and marginalisation,” it added.
The rights body raised alarm over the role of Pakistani authorities in sustaining this cycle, noting that while law enforcement agencies are meant to ensure safety and protect rights, they often become “instruments of restriction”.
The repeated intervention of Pakistani authorities in “peaceful acts of worship”, it said, reinforces exclusion and raises serious concerns about accountability and the rule of law.
“For the Ahmadi community, the impact goes far beyond missing a single prayer. Eid is a deeply meaningful occasion — one that symbolises belonging, faith, and togetherness. Being denied the right to celebrate it openly, year after year, deepens a sense of isolation. It turns a moment of joy into a reminder of inequality,” the VOPM stated.
–IANS
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