Sheikhupura; 17 May 2024: The Friday sermon at Ahmadiyya Bait-ul-Mubarak commenced at its usual time of 1:30 PM. However, the tranquility was soon disrupted by the arrival of a group of 4-5 individuals, chanting fervent TLP slogans of “Labbaik Labbaik” and waving flags. Security personnel intervened to deter their advance, only to be resisted with vehement protests and verbal confrontation from the group, escalating the tension.
The number of dissenters soon swelled to ten to twelve individuals, prompting the deployment of additional police reinforcements, including the Elite Force, summoned by the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP). Despite efforts to maintain order, the confrontation persisted, resulting in the arrest of three individuals while the others dispersed.
The mullas demand to restrict Ahmadis from exercising their right to worship at their Bait-ul-Zikr. Consequently, in view of the volatile circumstances, the police have stationed personnel outside the premises to ensure security. The dissenters vented their anger through a protest outside the local police station, underscoring the complexity and sensitivity of the issue at hand — developed by the laxity of authorities in various locations in the district.
The main character of this incident, Sultan Rizvi, injured himself with a blade on 23 May, and reported to the police that he was abducted by Ahmadis who posed as FIA officials. He claimed that after being injured, he was left at an agricultural farm and that he could identify these individuals. He named the security guard of Ahmadiyya mosque and other prominent people. According to the medical report, there were fifteen cuts. Due to the risk of unrest the next Friday, the police remained on duty along with the district security. Tehreek-e-Labbaik exerted pressure on the police to name the suspects according to their wishes in the case, but after discussions, the police have registered a case against unknown persons.
That person continued to move around different areas displaying his condition and attempting to incite anger.
