Religious intolerance deepens in Pakistan as Ahmadi woman denied burial rights

Islamabad, Sep 25 (IANS) A leading minority rights group has highlighted the deepening religious intolerance in Pakistan, citing a incident where a woman from the Ahmadi community has been denied burial by the hardline elements of society — specifically, the radical Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) — backed by the local authorities.

According to the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), the case of the deceased Qudsia Tabassum, whose body has been in the mortuary for the last two days, reflects the decades of religious discrimination and violence faced by the Ahmadi community, who are now being denied even the most basic right of burying their loved ones.

The rights body stated that a representative from the Ahmadi community, Babar, explained that this graveyard, located in Piru Chak region of Pakistan’s Punjab province, has been the final resting place for many Ahmadis, with over 200 graves belonging to the community. Yet, he said, when the community attempted to bury their own, they were met with opposition, fueled by TLP extremists who have increasingly flexed their muscle.

Citing Babar, the VOPM stated that the Pakistani local authorities, including the Assistant Commissioner and District Commissioner, have not only turned a blind eye to the issue but have actively sided with the hardline groups. “Whenever we approach them, they ask us to ‘let it go’,” the rights body quoted Babar as saying.

The rights body stressed that this is not an isolated incident but a part of the broader struggle Ahmadis face in Pakistan.

“The government and law enforcement agencies are failing to protect their citizens’ rights, and in fact, actively enabling religious extremists to persecute minorities. The TLP’s role in this obstruction is not just a local issue; it is a reflection of how far Pakistan has fallen from its founding ideals of religious freedom and tolerance. The authorities’ refusal to take action against these extremists only emboldens them and sends a dangerous message to the entire nation: that religious minorities are dispensable,” the VOPM stated.

“In Pakistan, the rights of minorities — especially the Ahmadi community — are being trampled upon by extremist groups like the TLP, with the silent approval of the state. This is not just an issue of burial rights, but a stark reminder of the growing intolerance and persecution faced by religious minorities in Pakistan. It is time for the authorities to act, to ensure that religious freedom and human dignity are upheld, and to stop the rising tide of extremism that threatens to engulf the nation,” it added.

--IANS

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