Karachi mob kills member of Ahmadi minority outside place of worship

A mob attacked an Ahmadi place of worship in Pakistan's largest city on Friday, killing a 47-year-old man in the latest violence against the persecuted minority community, according to police and community representatives.

The victim, identified by police as Laiq Ahmad, was beaten to death with bricks and sticks outside the Ahmadiyya Hall on Abdullah Haroon Road in Karachi's busy Saddar Mobile Market area, according to Amir Mahmood, a spokesperson for the Ahmadi community.

"When he noticed the mob recognizing him, he tried to flee," said Mehzore Ali, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) for Karachi's South district. "The mob chased him, caught him, and subjected him to torture. He was struck on the head with a rod after being tortured."

Ali confirmed that Ahmad owned a business on Tariq Road and had previously testified in court cases against Ahmadi community members, which may have made him recognizable to the attackers.

Mohammad Safdar, Superintendent of Police for Karachi's Saddar area, told Reuters that authorities later dispersed the mob and rescued 15 people who had been trapped inside the building during Friday prayers. Mahmood claimed the number of people trapped was closer to 30.

The Ahmadi community, considered heretical by many mainstream Muslims, faces severe legal restrictions in Pakistan. Laws forbid them from identifying as Muslims or using Islamic symbols in their worship.

Police disperses protestors

Police successfully dispersed the crowd after negotiations with the protestors, who ultimately agreed to leave the area.

Mufti Abid Mubarak, who identified himself as a representative of the protestors, claimed that police had agreed to seal the Ahmadi worship place as demanded by the demonstrators. He made these statements while standing alongside SSP South Ali at the scene.

"The police have committed to closing this illegal place of worship," Mubarak told reporters. "Our protest was peaceful. We did not kill the man, and we urge police to find the real murderer and take action against them."

These claims about an agreement to seal the worship place have not been independently confirmed, and police officials have not yet announced any arrests in connection with Friday's attack.

Increasing religious intolerance and violence

Friday's deadly attack comes just one day after the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), a Pakistani human rights organization, released a report highlighting increasing religious intolerance and violence against minorities in the country throughout 2024.

The report specifically identified Ahmadis as facing disproportionate risks, noting they accounted for 14% of blasphemy accusations in Pakistan despite being a small minority of the population. The CSJ also highlighted that laws specifically targeting the Ahmadiyya community, such as Section 298-C of Pakistan's penal code, were "widely misused."

According to the same report, at least 10 individuals accused of blasphemy have lost their lives in incidents across Pakistan this year, including in Karachi.

*Addition reporting by Reuters