LAHORE: Ahmadi community has alleged the Punjab Police barred its members from performing Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at several locations across the province on March 21.
According to community representative, police officials forcibly evacuated Ahmadi places of worship and sealed premises in multiple districts, citing government directives. Incidents were reported in Gujranwala, Sialkot, Faisalabad, and Sargodha, where authorities allegedly prevented congregational prayers and, in some cases, removed worshippers from prayer sites.
Amir Mahmood, spokesperson for the Ahmadi Community, referenced a January 12, 2022, Supreme Court ruling (Cr1.P.916-L/2021), in which a bench comprising Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan affirmed the right of Ahmadis to practise their faith within the privacy of their homes.
The community has called on authorities to align administrative actions with constitutional guarantees and the Supreme Court’s ruling, and to hold officials accountable for disrupting what it described as peaceful religious observance.
No official statement has been issued by the Punjab Police in response to the allegations. The News contacted Muhammad Ali Nekokara, the Additional Inspector General (Addl IGP) and official spokesperson for the Punjab police. No response was received.