Bhera, District Sargodha; July 24, 2023:
Bhera is important in Ahmadiyya history as the first Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Community hailed from this town. Nowadays, some Ahmadis live there and are content with their historical mosque complex.
In the year 2021, Ahmadis undertook essential repairs to their mosque. The opponents approached the police, and on their orders, the repair work was stayed. A joint committee was formed that decided that the roof could be repaired, but no repairs would be undertaken to the minarets and the niche. The administration unabashedly undertook the destruction of the Kalima in the yard and the hall of the mosque.
More recently, Ahmadis undertook repairs to the adjacent missionary house. On July 23, the mullas took out a rally and demanded a stoppage of the repair work and the removal of the minarets.
The next day, the AC and DSP Bhera sent for the Ahmadi elders. On arrival, they found that mullas and their media personnel were also present. The administration appeared to be impotent in the presence of mullas, so after some nominal discussion they made Ahmadis sign the following terms, inter alia:
The tablet on which Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim is written, and also other Islamic material will be removed from the Qadiani mosque in the presence of a member of the municipal committee, the police, and the town committee.
The minarets of the Qadiani mosque will be reverted to the pre-repairs state.
The constructed caping (mundair) in the Qadiani mosque would be removed.
Qadianis will undertake and complete all these actions by August 15, 2023.
Mr. Mohsin Naqvi is the chief minister in the Punjab and Mr. Shehbaz Sharif heads the PDM federal government in Islamabad.
