Rabwah; January 31, 2024: Ahmadiyya community has decided to disassociate itself from the elections and separate itself from anyone claiming to represent the community in the polls, due to a discriminatory practice of preparing a separate voter list for Ahmadis solely on account of their faith. It’s been decades since the Ahmadis have been deprived of their basic right of practicing vote with this systematic discrimination.
The Chief Executive’s Order No. 15 published in the Gazette of Pakistan (EXTRAORDINARY) issued at ISLAMABAD on JUNE 17, 2002, titled Conduct of General Elections (Second Amendment) Order, 2002, created a separate ‘supplementary list of voters’ in which Ahmadi voters were placed as ‘non-Muslim’.
In May 2002, when the system of the Joint Electorate was reintroduced, mullas raised some hue and cry. General Musharraf, obligingly, issued Chief Executive’s Order No. 15 whereby the status of Ahmadis etc. was to remain unchanged despite the Conduct of General Elections Order 2002. It also provided a procedure in Article 7C whereby Muslim voters were required to sign a declaration concerning belief about the absolute and unqualified finality of the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and those who refuse to sign the certificate were to be deleted from the joint electoral rolls and added to a supplementary list of voters in the same electoral area as non-Muslims. So that was the de-facto end of the resurrected Joint Electorate system; there was really no change from the old system of Separate Electorate – not for Ahmadis, anyway.
These discriminatory provisions contained as Articles 7B and 7C in the Chief Executive Order No. 7 of 2002 (as amended by C.E. Order No. 15) have now been made a part of the Election Act 2017. (Copy of Order No. 15 at Annex) Similar provisions apply to local government elections.
These devious and appalling procedures predictably resulted in the disassociation of the Ahmadiyya community from elections. As such, for decades now, no Ahmadi is represented in any assembly, national, provincial, district, or even local. Ahmadis have no representation in the town council of Rabwah, their own town and centre where 95% of residents are Ahmadis.
For the next election in 2008, the Election Commission ordered vide its letter No. F.1(6)/2001-Cord dated 17 January, 2007 that “the competent authority has been pleased to decide that separate supplementary lists of draft electoral rolls for Ahmadis/Qadianis for the electoral areas concerned, wherever they are registered, may be prepared and published…”
The following press release was issued by the Headquarters of Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan on January 31, 2024:
PRESS RELEASE
AHMADIYYA COMMUNITY ANNOUNCES DISASSOCIATION FROM THE GENERAL ELECTIONS 2024 DUE TO DISCRIMINATION.
A SEPARATE VOTER LIST PREPARED FOR AHMADIS ON THE BASIS OF THEIR FAITH IS A BLATENT DISCRIMINATION.
Chenab Nagar (P R) The Press Section of the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan has announced dissociation of the Ahmadiyya Community from the upcoming General Elections that are set to take place in Pakistan on 8th February 2024. Although the elections are ostensibly being held under a joint electorate, there is, however, a separate voter list prepared only for Ahmadi citizens due to their faith. The process for the registration of votes and the preparation of the voter lists is now completed.
Currently there is one voter list that includes all religious groups including Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Zoroastrians, and Sikhs, whereas in the case of Ahmadis, a separate voter list is being prepared bearing the titles” Qadiani Men/Women’’.
This discriminatory treatment on the basis of religion is a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise Ahmadi citizens from the electoral process for all intents & purposes and thus denying them their right to vote. Such prejudicial behaviour is a clear violation of Pakistani Ahmadis as citizens of the state and goes against the vision of the founding father of the country Muhammad Ali Jinnah and contravenes both the Constitution and the joint electoral system.
The Ahmadiyya Spokesperson Amir Mahmood has stated that in view of the prevailing circumstances, it is not possible for Ahmadiyya Community to participate in the Elections therefore, the Ahmadiyya Community has decided to disassociate itself from the upcoming General Elections 2024 and separates itself from anyone claiming to represent the Community in these General Elections.
Press Section Nazarat Umur Aama
Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya Pakistan (Rabwah)
Ph: 0092-47-6212459
Fax: 0092-47-6215459
Email: [email protected]
Final Electoral List 2023 (For Qadiani Men)
Election Area _______________
City _________ Circle _______ Tehsil _________
District _______ Shumariati Block Code ________
Local Government _________________________
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