In Pakistan, police are destroying Ahmadi places of worship, orders of Lahore High Court are being disobeyed

Police in Pakistan's Punjab province on Friday destroyed the arch of a place of worship of the Ahmadi community. Earlier, the Lohar High Court had given an order to ban such action against the places of worship of the minority community built before 1984, yet these actions are continuing.

Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Pakistan official Amir Mahmood said on Friday that Lahore police blocked the road on both sides in Shahdara Town and deployed workers to demolish the arches of a place of worship there. He said that about 20 policemen arrived at the Ahmadiyya place of worship in Shahdara Town, Lahore, and demanded that the Ahmadis themselves demolish the arches there, or the police would do so.

Amir Mahmood said that we informed the police about the decision of the Lahore High Court that the places of worship of the Ahmadi community, which were built before the 1984 law, should not be demolished or altered.

According to the police, the city's Ahmadi community was asked to demolish the arches of places of worship as it was creating law and order situation in the area. Police said the arch was demolished due to non-compliance. In August, 10 Ahmadi places of worship in the country were attacked, with either their minarets, arches or sacred articles demolished or removed.

Radical Islamists of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) are reportedly at the forefront of spreading hatred against Ahmadis and demanding police action against their places of worship.

The Ahmadi community says it has become common for the police to put pressure on the minority community to desecrate their places of worship instead of protecting them. He says that the intentions of the extremist elements are fulfilled by the police action.