Gunmen opened fire outside the main gate of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s central Mosque, “Bait-ul-Mahdi,” in Rabwah’s Gol Bazaar on Friday, according to police and local sources.
Initial reports indicate that four attackers arrived at the scene in a car and began firing indiscriminately at the entrance during Friday prayers. Security personnel stationed outside the worship site confronted the attackers, killing one gunman on the spot, while the remaining three fled.
Police have identified the slain attacker as 37-year-old Sohaib Bin Zaigham, based on his identity documents. Zaigham was a permanent resident of Jampur in Rajanpur district, Sindh province, and was currently living on Ghoray Shah Road in Lahore.
A police officer from Chenab Nagar police station confirmed that a search operation is underway to apprehend the other suspects. “We are working diligently to ensure the safety of the community and to bring the perpetrators to justice,” the officer said.
Some Ahmadi youth performing security duties at the site sustained injuries, but no civilian fatalities were reported, police said.
District Police Officer Abdullah Ahmed and the station house officer of Chenab Nagar police station arrived at the scene to assess the situation. Security forces have since cordoned off the area, and a heavy deployment of law enforcement personnel is in place to maintain order and reassure residents.
The head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Masroor Ahmad, who lives in self-exile in London, condemned the attack during his weekly Friday sermon. He criticized the provincial government of Punjab and its chief minister, Maryam Nawaz, for failing to protect Ahmadis.
“The Punjab government and its chief minister are claiming that 100% of crime has been eradicated in Punjab, and that no criminals are left. However, the daily attacks on Ahmadis, who are being martyred, attacked, and whose properties are being burned down — perhaps they do not consider these as crimes,” he said.
Amir Mahmood, spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, also condemned the attack, calling it a direct result of the ongoing hate campaign against Ahmadis. “This heinous act is yet another consequence of the relentless incitement to hatred and violence against innocent and peaceful Ahmadis,” Mahmood said.
He urged authorities to take decisive action against those responsible for spreading anti-Ahmadi propaganda through sermons, posters, and social media content.
The Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan has faced decades of severe persecution since being declared non-Muslims by the country’s constitution in 1974. They are legally barred from identifying as Muslims or calling their places of worship mosques.