Mithial, District Attock; September 22, 2022: International Human Rights Committee issued the following Incident Report on September 24, 2022 (extracts):
CHILDREN IN PAKISTAN EXPELLED FROM SCHOOL JUST FOR BEING AHMADI MUSLIM WITH BLATANT DISCRIMINATION & DENIAL OF RIGHT TO EDUCATION
A school in Pakistan has expelled four Ahmadi students merely on the basis of their faith and belief.
In a shocking expulsion document, the franchise of The Educators Schools Network in Attock, Pakistan blatantly violated the basic human right to education.
In its expulsion document, the Principal wrote:
“The following students who were studying in this institute are being withdrawn on the basis of Qadianiat [a derogatory term for Ahmadis] Religion.”
We add the following information and developments received subsequently. These children were studying in this school, The Educators (Mithial Campus), for the last three years. Their names and classes are as follows:
- Miss Hazifa Nasir Class III
- Miss Anila Aaqib Class VI
- Mr. Abir Ahmad Saifi Class IX
- Miss Namrah Qureshi Class X
Anti-Ahmadi hate campaign has gone on in this area for long, and the authorities have done little to confront it or reduce it. For example, a cricket tournament is held regularly in Kasran, and the publicity posters mention specifically: “Qadianis are not allowed to participate in it.” The authorities let it pass as if un-noticed.
This hate-campaign had entered this school as well and the Ahmadi children faced ill-will, ridicule and harassment from some of their fellow students and even some teaching staff. Reportedly there was pressure, internal as well as external, on the lady principal to throw out the Ahmadi students. It is learnt that the principal, unwillingly and woefully, issued the following certificate:
“The following students who were studying in this institute are being withdrawal on the basis of Qadianiat Religion.
“Institute is unable to keep continue their study from now onward.” (sic)
The issue got publicity on social media etc, and some sections of H.R. organizations, journalists and civil society expressed their concern over it. The BBC issued a report on the incident in its bbc.com/urdu; so did the independenturdu.com. As a result, some senior officials in the district administration, education, police and the school management had a meeting with the parents of the victims and decided to step backward from the expulsion of the children from the school. The principal was good enough to apologize over the incident. The school administration, thereafter, asked the parents to sign a statement of reconciliation. The parents felt hesitant to do that without further consultation and deliberation, as sending the children back to the school in the resultant atmosphere of greater hostility and prejudice might be of the unacceptable degree.
