Dholan Abad, Mirpur Khas; May 4, 2023: A group of assailants attacked the Ahmadiyya mosque in district Mirpur Khas, causing extensive damage to its structure. This desecration of the mosque marks the ninth such incident in the first five months of this year alone and the sixth in the province of Sindh. This is an alarmingly high number for a small community, with an average of almost two mosques being vandalized every month.
According to reports, a mob of approximately 150 people arrived at the mosque at around 9 a.m. and forcibly entered the premises by placing a ladder against the building. The assailants then proceeded to bring down the mosque’s four minarets and attempted to damage the niche. The mosque is located in the center of wMirpur Khas City and has shops in its basement.
Despite their efforts, the assailants were unable to break down the mosque’s main gate. However, they set fire to the belongings of the Ahmadis, including their clothes and other possessions.
This mosque was constructed in the 1980s and is situated near Fazl e Umar Hospital, which was founded by Dr. Abdul Mannan Siddiqui, a renowned, people friendly Ahmadi doctor who was martyred in 2008 after a hateful TV program against Ahmadis.
Following his death, many Ahmadi families residing in the neighborhood of the mosque were forced to relocate to various other areas of the city.
Although Ahmadis were few in number in this area, the offering of prayers had recently resumed after being suspended for more than a year. After the mob had destroyed the minarets of the mosque, the police arrived and dispersed them.
The spokesperson of the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan tweeted; “Continuous attacks on Ahmadiyya worship places are a gross violation of human rights. Today’s attack on the Ahmadiyya place of worship in Dholan Abad, Mirpur Khas by a mob of 150 plus extremists is unacceptable.”
He further stated, “The attack on the Ahmadiyya place of worship is an appalling act of religious intolerance. The illegal entry, destruction of property, and setting fire to belongings is unacceptable.”
The spokesperson also expressed disappointment over the police’s lack of action and said, “The police are not registering a case for the incident, and it is unfortunate that state institutions are targeting the oppressed class and delaying action, instead of taking immediate steps against extremist elements.”
He also shared videos of the incidents on his Twitter account to provide evidence of the attack on the mosque. (https://twitter.com/PressSectionSAA/status/1654104664131125249?s=20)
Ahmadis met with police officials and authorities for a rightful legal action against the attackers. At first, they were reluctant, but later the police registered a case with FIR No. 50 under PPCs 295, 427, 436, 147, 148, 149, 6 ATA and 7 ATA on May 4, 2023 in the police station Ghareeb Abad, District Mirpur Khas. An anti-Ahmadi Ahmad Jan Sarhandi group is very active against Ahmadis in Sindh.
