Minarets Demolished, One Mosque Set on Fire, And Worshippers Assaulted

(Faisalabad, Pakistan) – A mob attacked two Ahmadi mosques in Kartarpur, Faisalabad, on 14 August 2025 during Pakistan’s Independence Day celebrations, demolishing the minarets of both buildings, setting one mosque on fire, and assaulting worshippers and local residents.

Both mosques had been built before Pakistan’s anti-Ahmadi Ordinance of 1984 and had served for decades as places of worship for the local Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

The violence began during a local Independence Day procession, which community members said was used to organise a coordinated attack on Ahmadis in the area. Participants in the rally delivered inflammatory speeches against the community before the crowd moved toward the two mosques.

The mob demolished the minarets of both buildings and set one of them on fire.

According to local reports, worshippers present at the time were beaten with sticks and bricks. One young man sustained a serious head injury after being struck with a brick, while several others were injured during the assault.

The mob also attacked nearby Ahmadi homes, breaking windows with bricks and stones and threatening residents as the violence spread out across the wider area.