Punjab police demolished the minarets of an Ahmadi place of worship in Jhelum following a campaign in the area by extremist outfit Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) seeking destruction of the minarets. The incident took place in the Kala Gujran area of the Jhelum district.
In a statement released to the media, a spokesperson for the Ahmadi community said that Asim Ashfaq Rizvi, a TLP leader, threatened the District Police Officer (DPO) Jhelum that if the administration did not bring down the minarets by 10th Muharram, the TLP will gather people and do it themselves.
On July 14, 2023, the DSP summoned members of the Ahmadi community and said that they should destroy the minarets or else the police will raze them. The community members told the officer that construction of the minarets is not illegal at all.
Around 12am on July 14, according to the spokesperson, the police came to the Ahmadi place of worship and detained the Ahmadi individuals present inside the worship place after confiscating their mobile phones. The police then brought down the minarets and later released the detained individuals.
“This situation is a clear violation of the rights of the Ahmadiyya Community,” the spokesperson said.
