Faisalabad and Attock; December 2021: Mr. Talha Ahmad Shaikh appeared in an interview for service in Pakistan Army. The interview panel, comprising a brigadier and four officers asked him to introduce himself. He was then asked about his siblings, to which he told them that one of his brothers is an Ahmadiyya missionary. They asked him about his posting and allowance, etc.
Then, they asked him questions about the differences between Ahmadiyyat and other sects of Islam. They asked him to explain any three differences. Furthermore, they asked him about the descent of Hazrat Isa and the Ahmadiyya belief in the Holy Quran. They asked a few questions of general knowledge as well. They asked him about the difference between the Qadiani and the Lahori groups of Ahmadis and remarked that there were differences among Ahmadis since the life of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani. This statement is not correct.
In response, Mr. Shaikh started answering but was told to leave. The interview lasted about 25 minutes. It was primarily about his system of belief. He was not selected, of course.
In another case, Mr. Muhammad Abdul Salam, an Ahmadi, a resident of Kasran District Attock, was recruited as a sepoy in Pakistan Army. He reported to the Artillery Center on 26th June 2021 for training.
A few days later, he was told to leave and report to the Center. When asked the reason, the instructor told him that as per the army rules no Qadiani could serve in a fighting corp.
A few days later, he was sent for by Col. Noman Zahoor. Going for the interview, one of the instructors told him, “Leave Ahmadiyyat and save your job.” “If I lose the job for my faith, then I would let it go”, he replied. After the interview, Mr. Salam was told to leave immediately. He was sent back on 12 July 2021. He has not been called back since then nor has been formally told the reason for his dismissal.
