Pakistan: New call to end discrimination against Ahmadiyyah Muslims

We have continued to take action to raise awareness of the discrimination against the Ahmadiyyah Muslims in Pakistan.

The main focus recently has been on providing a lengthy submission to the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Community (APPG) inquiry into the denial of freedom of religion and human rights violations of Ahmadi Muslims and other religious communities in Pakistan.

I will provide copies of the submission when the APPG report appears (promised for late July/early August).

The submission sets out the evidence for the violations, and makes the following recommendations to the Pakistan and the UK governments:

Recommendations to the Government of Pakistan
Defend the right of everyone in Pakistan to life, liberty and security, and their rights to freedom of religion, belief, peaceful assembly and expression. Specifically the Pakistani state must halt criminalisation of Ahmadis for their religious beliefs and identity

Remove the Second Amendment to the Constitution and rescind Ordinance XX (and the corresponding provisions of the Penal Code).

Take effective steps to curb advocacy of religious hatred against the Ahmadiyyah community and to protect them from communal violence. Repeal the blasphemy laws and, pending such repeal to urgently put in place effective safeguards to prevent the abusive use of these laws.

Recommendations to the UK Government
Press the Pakistani authorities to repeal the blasphemy laws and specific legislation which discriminates against the Ahmadiyyah community.

Ensure that any training or cooperation in regard to the criminal justice sector in Pakistan, including police and other law enforcement officials, prosecutors, defence lawyers and judges, includes a significant human rights component, particularly in regard to their specific roles in respecting and protecting human rights in blasphemy cases.

Take action

Take urgent action now and call for the protection of 23 Ahmadiyya members of Gereneng village in Indonesia whose homes were destroyed by a mob in May.