On 7 September 1974, the long unfulfilled dream of Pakistan’s religious conservatives finally became a reality with the passing of the second constitutional amendment which declared Ahmadis non-Musim. For the man who spearheaded this movement, Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, it was a singular moment of glory and as he left parliament on the day of its enactment he was met by jubilant crowds who hailed him as a hero. A theological dispute sold to the people as a struggle …
At first glance, Multan is like any other middling-to-large provincial city in Pakistan; an unkempt sprawl of grey concrete buildings and chaotic traffic. However, beneath the gruff exterior lies a city steeped in history and heritage. Conquered by Alexander the Great and ruled for a time by the Brahmin Dynasty, Multan eventually came to be one of the sub-continent’s chief centres of Islam. Through the centuries, scores of mystics, holy men and spiritualists have journeyed there in search of enlightenment. …