Pakistan: Ahmadi Muslim hacked to death in Rawalpindi for his faith

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has denounced a new death in Pakistan of one of its members after a violent assault, this time carried out with an axe.

According to an official statement issued by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Tayyab Ahmad, an Ahmadi Muslim, was hacked to death by an assailant in broad daylight on 5 December. 

The official statement of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is reproduced below:

Pakistan: Ahmadi Muslim hacked to death in Rawalpindi for his faith

On 5 December 2024, Tayyab Ahmadi Muslim Tayyab Ahmad was hacked to death by an assailant in broad daylight after uttering the following threat: ‘Qadianis, we warned you to leave this place and vacate the area’.

This brutal murder is the result of the impunity enjoyed by extremists involved in anti-Ahmadi activities and the lack of adequate measures. Ahmadis no longer feel safe anywhere in Pakistan.

In the Dhamial Camp area of Rawalpindi, two Ahmadi brothers, Tahir Ahmad Qamar and Tayyab Ahmad, were in their tent at around 1pm when an unidentified individual approached them wielding an axe. ‘Qadianis! (Ahmadis!) We had warned you to leave this place and vacate the area!’ he shouted before brutally attacking them with the axe. Tayyab Ahmad died on the spot. The attacker, in his 30s, fled the scene while continuing to make threats.

The deceased had recently travelled from Rajanpur to Rawalpindi to visit his brother. Despite trying to explain that he was a guest, not a resident of the area, the assailant hacked Tayyab several times in the upper body.

Tayyab, 40, was known for his nobility and humility. His family had previously suffered religious persecution in Rajanpur. His brother from Rawalpindi also suffered hostility from fanatics because of his faith, and received continuous death threats. A few days before the attack, a religious gathering was held near his shop, after which participants stoned his shop.

‘It is regrettable that a religious extremist murdered an Ahmadi in broad daylight. This is a direct consequence of the hatred that extremists fuel against Ahmadis, leaving them totally unprotected. There is no moral leadership against religious hatred, nor effective law enforcement against hate crimes,’ said the IHRC (International Human Rights Committee).

‘The identities of those who promote acts of extremism against Ahmadi Muslims are no secret. Why is the government not taking legal action against them? If those who incite hatred and violence were brought to account before the law, such killings based on religious hatred and lawlessness could be prevented’.

The IHRC demands that legal action be taken against those who, under the guise of religion, create fear and terror in society with impunity. This is essential to establish a peaceful and harmonious society.

There is an alarming increase in hate campaigns against the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan. The murder of Ahmadis has become a norm, while the government takes little notice. Threats and attempted murders of Ahmadis have increased almost everywhere in the country.

All governments and relevant civil society organisations must put pressure on the Government of Pakistan to prosecute all those who are fuelling hatred, inciting violence and provoking the brutal targeted killings of Ahmadis. Widespread religious violence is a stain on the reputation and image of Pakistan, which professes to be a democratic Islamic state.

This grave situation requires urgent international intervention. In 2023, political and religious leaders from around the world met in London to guarantee freedom of religion and belief for all in all countries. However, these values are not respected in Pakistan. Out of respect for the resolutions of this international conference, the world must take immediate and urgent action to ensure that the Ahmadis of Pakistan enjoy their full right to follow their religion and to be able to practice their faith freely.

We therefore urge the international community to urge the Government of Pakistan to live up to its responsibility to provide effective protection and freedom of religious practice for Ahmadis, to bring the perpetrators of these heinous attacks to justice, and to bring its laws and practices into line with international standards, as mandated by Article 20 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Articles 25 and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).