The recent demolition of a historic mosque belonging to the Ahmadiyya community in Daska, Punjab, has raised fresh concerns over the treatment of minorities in Pakistan. The mosque, built before the partition of India in 1947 and once associated with the legacy of prominent figures like Sir Muhammad Zafarullah Khan, was destroyed despite a court order to protect it. The action was taken under pressure from local mobs, signaling a troubling disregard for the rule of law in favor of street-level fanaticism, critics argue.
The Ahmadi mosque’s destruction highlights a wider issue of religious intolerance and systemic discrimination against minority communities in Pakistan, particularly the Ahmadiyya Muslims. Once pivotal to the creation of Pakistan, Ahmadis are now officially declared non-Muslim by the state. The community, including prominent figures such as Sir Zafarullah Khan, who played an integral role in the All India Muslim League, finds itself increasingly marginalized in the very nation it helped establish.
The demolition has sparked pointed comparisons with Pakistan’s reactions to perceived violations of religious rights in neighboring India, where any action against mosques, legal or illegal, is met with sharp condemnation from the Pakistani government. The hypocrisy is evident, critics say, as Pakistan lectures the world on religious tolerance while systematically eroding the rights of its own religious minorities.
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“Pakistan’s leadership, particularly under the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) government led by Maryam Nawaz, has shown once again that the protection of minority rights is secondary to appeasing extremist elements,” said a human rights spokesperson. “This reflects a deeper issue of intolerance that runs through Pakistan’s socio-political fabric, where the legacy of violence, bigotry, and the persecution of minorities has left a lasting scar on the nation.”
The demolition also serves as a painful reminder of Pakistan’s complex history. Originally founded as a nation for Muslims, Pakistan’s creation was marred by the violence and displacement of millions, including Hindus, Sikhs, and Ahmadis. In this context, the destruction of the Ahmadi mosque feels like a bitter irony: a community that once fought for the creation of Pakistan now finds itself stripped of its rights and forced to live under constant persecution.
The incident has led to renewed calls for greater protection of religious freedom and minority rights in Pakistan. The international community, alongside Pakistani civil society, has condemned the attack on the mosque and the broader systemic discrimination faced by the Ahmadiyya community.
As Pakistan struggles with its own internal divisions and its treatment of minorities, the demolition of the Daska mosque serves as yet another painful reminder of the challenges facing the country in its quest for a more inclusive and just future.
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