CRIMINALIZED FOR PRAYER, KILLED BY HATE: THE SLOW GENOCIDE OF AHMADIS
- International Human Rights Committee
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
May 12th, 2025
Tortured in Court, Denied Bail, Deprived of Care: A Case of Genocidal Persecution in Karachi
The International Human Rights Committee (IHRC) strongly condemns the custodial death of Mr Tahir Mahmood aged 71, on Sunday 11th May 2025, an Ahmadi Muslim unjustly arrested and imprisoned in Malir, Karachi for the peaceful act of offering Friday prayers. His death is the latest in Pakistan’s escalating campaign of genocidal intimidation and religious apartheid targeting the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.
A PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE: CHARGED FOR FAITH, PUNISHED FOR PRAYER
On March 12, 2025, the City Court of Karachi rejected bail applications for Tahir Mahmood Sahib and two other Ahmadis — Ijaz Hussain and Ayaz Hussain — based on false and sectarian charges under Pakistan Penal Code Sections 295 and 298, weaponized specifically against Ahmadis. The complainant in the case, Shoaib Khan, is a known official of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) — a violent extremist group that has orchestrated hate campaigns and violence against Ahmadis with impunity.
A STAGED COURTROOM, A COORDINATED MOB: HOW JUSTICE WAS SABOTAGED
On the day of the hearing, the courtroom and its premises were swarmed by TLP-affiliated lawyers, clerics, and supporters, many of whom verbally abused and physically attacked the Ahmadi accused in full view of law enforcement. The presiding judge, in the presence of TLP lawyers and amid anti-Ahmadi slogans, allegedly reassured the extremists that bail would be denied “as per expectations.”
Following the rejection, Mr Tahir Mahmood and Mr Ijaz Hussain were violently dragged from the courtroom, physically assaulted by lawyers and mobs, and handed over to police, who continued the torture in custody. These events were filmed and proudly disseminated through social media channels linked to religious extremist networks.
TORTURE, STARVATION, AND MEDICAL NEGLECT IN CUSTODY
Once in police custody, Mr Tahir Mahmood was reportedly interrogated and beaten for refusing to denounce his faith and speak against the founder and Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya community. In the following weeks, his health rapidly deteriorated. Witnesses and reports confirm he was weak, drowsy, and covered in oral blisters, making it painful to eat or drink. Despite clear signs of medical distress, he was denied proper treatment, ultimately leading to his death in custody on May 11, 2025.
A SYSTEMATIC CAMPAIGN OF STATE-SPONSORED RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION
This was not an isolated incident. The Pakistani state continues to tolerate — and often abet — the persecution of Ahmadis through:
Weaponized laws (PPC 295, 298) that criminalize Ahmadi religious identity.
Mob influence on judiciary orchestrated by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan.
Torture and humiliation in police custody for prisoners of conscience.
Desecration of Ahmadi mosques and coordinated hate campaigns across provinces.
IHRC CALLS FOR URGENT INTERNATIONAL ACTION
The International Human Rights Committee (IHRC) demands:
A full independent inquiry into the custodial death of Tahir Mahmood Sahib and prosecution of all those involved in his arrest, torture, and abuse — including TLP-affiliated lawyers and complicit police officers.
International sanctions on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and its leadership; immediate designation as a terrorist organization.
Immediate medical and legal protections for all Ahmadi Muslims currently imprisoned under blasphemy or anti-Ahmadi laws.
Repeal of discriminatory constitutional and penal code provisions (especially PPC 295, 298) targeting the Ahmadiyya community.
Deployment of international observers in Pakistan’s major cities to document and report on religious persecution.
THE WORLD MUST NOT LOOK AWAY
Tahir Mahmood Sahib did not die of natural causes. He was systematically stripped of dignity, protection, and basic human rights — all because of his faith. His death is a glaring indictment of Pakistan’s descent into a religious apartheid state, where bigotry is policy, and extremism is law.
The international community must act — now — to stop this descent into darkness.
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