Mandi Bahauddin, September 5 (Daily Kiran) : The recent assassination of Mirza Safdar Mahmood, a local leader of the Ahmadi Muslim community, has sparked outrage and calls for justice from the International Human Rights Committee (IHRC). The 65-year-old was shot dead in Mandi Bahauddin, Punjab province, while heading to an Ahmadi place of worship. The IHRC described the incident as a grave example of the escalating religious intolerance and hatred faced by the Ahmadi community in Pakistan.
Reports from Spanish media outlet Atalayar indicate Mahmood’s murder was a targeted attack, occurring against a backdrop of ongoing threats and incitement of violence towards Ahmadis in the region. The IHRC took to social media platform X to express their demands for immediate accountability, stating, “A local official of the Ahmadi community has been targeted and killed in Pakistan.”
Community representatives confirmed that Mahmood had no known personal enemies, underscoring that his death was motivated by religious intolerance. He leaves behind a wife and two children. His funeral and burial rites were conducted in Rabwah.
In recent weeks, there has been a noticeable increase in incidents of hate speech and violence against the Ahmadi community in Mandi Bahauddin. Local religious leaders have publicly issued threats, including against an Ahmadi police officer and women in the community. Notably, two members of the Ahmadi community were murdered in separate armed attacks in the same district on June 8, 2024.
The IHRC emphasized that Pakistan has a legal obligation under the United Nations Charter and international human rights treaties to protect the lives, personal safety, and religious freedoms of all citizens. They urged the federal government to conduct a fair and thorough judicial investigation into Mahmood’s murder, hold the perpetrators accountable, and implement effective security measures to prevent future hate crimes in Punjab province.
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