Police in Kasur have registered a criminal case against more than 40 members of the Ahmaddiya community for allegedly converting a residential property into a place of worship.
Kasur is a city to the south of Lahore, in the Pakistani province of Punjab.
The FIR, filed on Sunday, names two individuals while 40 others remain unidentified. The case has been registered under Section 298(C) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which prohibits members of the Ahmaddiya community from presenting themselves as Muslims or practicing their faith in ways that resemble Islamic rituals.
According to the FIR, suspects presented themselves as Muslims in the area despite being Ahmadis and performed Islamic rituals to reinforce that impression.
The FIR further said that a similar complaint had been submitted to the SHO of City-A Division Kasur on March 21, 2025, but no action was taken at the time.
It requested the authorities to “immediately” seal the alleged place of worship to prevent any potential disturbance to public order in the neighborhood.
It is worth noting that the case was registered following orders recently issued by Additional District and Sessions Judge Nadeem Akhtar Tabassum, who acted on a writ petition filed under Sections 22(A) and 22(B) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
According to the petitioner, two identified members of the Ahmaddiya community — along with 40 unidentified individuals—had allegedly converted a residential property in the Shami Shaheed locality into a place of worship.
He claimed that the group was regularly offering daily prayers, as well as Friday and Eid congregational prayers at the location, without seeking approval from any relevant authority. He further asserted that Ahmadis had no legal right to establish or operate such a worship space.
Ahmaddiya Community Speechern Denounces ‘Frivolous Case’
Reacting to the development, Amir Mahmood, a spokesperson for the Ahmaddiya community, strongly condemned the case while speaking to Dot. He described it as a “frivolous criminal case” driven by “miscreants” attempting to obstruct Ahmadis from practicing their faith.
“Article 20 of the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees every citizen the right to practice their religion according to their beliefs,” he said, adding that barring Ahmadis from praying not only violates their constitutional rights but also damages Pakistan’s global image.
“What purpose do these miscreants serve for Pakistan?” he asked, calling on the country’s leadership to uphold the fundamental human rights of Ahmadis rather than yield to unlawful pressures.
