on 29 February 2012, Mr Chaudhry Muhammad Akram (80), was martyred in Nawab Shah, Sindh after a sectarian attack. His grandson, Muneeb Ahmad, was also left hospitalised and is in a critical condition.
At around 1pm on 29 February 2012, Mr Chaudhry Muhammad Akram was returning home from a shop owned by his son-in-law when two unknown assailants, on motorbikes, opened fire on him. He died soon after whilst on the way to the hospital. His grandson, Muneeb Ahmad, who was also fired upon, was taken to hospital in critical condition and has since undergone surgery but remains in a critical state.
Chaudhry Muhammad Akram is survived by his wife, five sons and two daughters. In 2005 he and his wife emigrated to Australia, but had returned to Pakistan in November 2011 to visit family. It was during this visit that he was martyred.
The deceased was a peace loving and caring person and did not have any personal disputes or enmities. Hence the clear motive for his cold-blooded murder was his religion and the fact that he was an Ahmadi Muslim. Ahmadi Muslims have regularly been targeted in Nawab Shah, indeed in July 2011, a prominent Ahmadi lawyer, Malik Mabroor Ahmad was also killed in the city.
Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V (atba) mentioned in his Friday sermon on 2nd March 2012,
“Chaudhry Muhammad Akram was a man holding great moral qualities. He served the Jamaat with great distinction for many years and he felt the pain of our community and held a very deep love for Khilafat. May Allah grant him an elevated status in heaven. When he lived in Nawabshah shaheed Akram sahib served the Jama’at for many years. He was finance secretary for 35 years and also served as deputy Ameer of the district. He was a person of high morals and was regular at Tahajjud. He was very keen in helping others and had an ardent love of Khilafat. On his current visit to Pakistan he asked for a list of the disadvantaged people in the area so that he could help them. He had the Nawabshah centre reopened and said that on his return to Australia he would send funds for the renovation. He aspired to martyrdom and used to say that this honour is granted to the fortunate. He leaves behind a widow, five sons and two daughters. His injured grandson is 18/19 years old, may God grant him perfect healing.”
