Peru chak, District Sialkot; November 2022: An anti-Ahmadi activist of Tahaffuze Khatme Nabuwwat, filed a complaint with PS Motra against Ahmadis for allegedly violating anti-Ahmadiyya Sections PPCs 298-B and 298-C. On March 24, the locals went to the neighboring village and urged them to come to Peeru Chak to help Islam by prosecuting Qadianis. On March 28, the SHO police came to the graveyard along with locals started destroying Ahmadis’ tombstones. On April 6, Assistant Commissioner Daska along with the SHO police station Motra and a heavy contingent came to the graveyard and destroyed 43 tombstones of Ahmadis.
This graveyard has the graves of Ahmadis on one side and non-Ahmadis’ on the other, and has been thus shared for the past 71 years. A few days ago an Ahmadi woman Ms. Bushra Bibi died. Arrangements were made for her burial in the said cemetery, but the administration, on the complaint of mulla, did not allow Ahmadis to bury the dead. The administration was told by Ahmadis that this place is reserved for the burial of Ahmadis. The officials threatened that Ahmadis should ‘cooperate’ otherwise their names would be put in the Fourth Schedule and a criminal case could be registered against them. They were told that every time it is Ahmadis who cooperate with the administration while the opponents create problems and get away with their wrongful demands. They have four graveyards in the village, while Ahmadis have only one.
This matter was then sent to the District Core Management Peace Committee, on which they opined that the cemetery was allotted to Muslim emigrants at the time of Partition, the majority of whom were Qadianis. Despite the constitutional amendment, there was no dispute over the burials until 6 months ago. Later, differences arose, and the situation has become volatile which can cause a dangerous incident at any time. Apart from the disputed cemetery in Peru Chak there are four cemeteries for Muslims. The Qadiani side has more graves in the disputed cemetery. Organizations that maintain law and order should find a permanent and sustainable solution to this so that there will be no threat to peace, they timidly suggested.
On this, surprisingly the AC decided to seal the Ahmadiyya part of the cemetery and said that some other area of the government land would be allotted for the cemetery. Ms. Bushra’s dead body had to be carried away from her village for burial.
The province of Punjab is ruled these days by the PTI and PML-Q. A few days later, Mr. Imran Khan the PTI chief stated elaborately in his political sermon to his huge rally in Rawalpindi: “No society can progress sans justice.”