Samundri, District Faisalabad, Punjab; 21/22 December 2023: District administration and the police jointly destroyed the minarets of the local Ahmadiyya mosque at about midnight.
The Assistant Commissioner (AC) accompanied by the SHO and a dozen policemen arrived at the mosque before sunset and demanded entry. Accordingly, the AC, the SHO, a few policemen, and the person who had initiated the unjustified complaint went inside. There, on inquiry, the complainant replied that he objected only to the minarets. At this, the AC told the Ahmadi present there to send his seniors to his office.
Accordingly, the local Ahmadi president and another went over to the AC’s office after the Isha prayer. There they were told that the internal situation was very sensitive and the administration had received orders that peace must be maintained at all costs. The AC conveyed that as for the minarets, the Deputy Commissioner would like us to finish the task the same day. The AC showed the orders to our president but did not provide a copy. The president briefed the AC on Ahmadiyya position and referred to the recent Lahore High Court verdict that the minarets of Ahmadiyya mosques built before 1984 should not be demolished; this worship place was built in 1956. The president also conveyed that Ahmadis would not obstruct official action and knew that in the prevailing circumstances, any disturbance is not in Ahmadiyya interest.
Later, the same evening, the AC sent for the president at 9 pm and said that he had to complete the task at hand that day. “The RPO is here, and I have to report to him that the task is done,” he said. He frankly threatened that if Ahmadis cooperated, there would be no problem, but if there was some damage during the action, the responsibility would not lie with the administration.
Accordingly, at about 00:30 on the 21/22 December night, the AC sent for the president to come to the mosque gate and told him to have the gate opened, otherwise, he would break his way in. At this, the gate was opened for them.
The minarets of the Samundri mosque were then destroyed in the presence of the SHO and five policemen. The task was assigned to half a dozen Christian laborers of the town council. They climbed up to the roof to do the destruction. Thereafter they loaded the debris of the minarets on a vehicle and sent it away.
