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Pakistan

Taliban kill 21 kidnapped Pakistani soldiers

The bullet-riddled bodies of the personnel were found on Saturday night, two days after they were abducted from their military post located a short distance from Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. On 27th December around 30 Taliban armed with mortars and rocket launchers launched an attack on two checkpoints south of Peshawar, killing two security personnel, wounding another and kidnapping 23 others. Taliban lined up the Levies personnel on a cricket pitch and tied their hands with rope before …

Student graduates after being shot in the forehead

A University of Sunderland student who survived a gun attack which claimed the lives of his brother and uncle has told of his pride after he graduated just weeks after his ordeal. Ummad Farooq, 22, had gone home to Karachi for his brother Saad’s wedding in October when they were attacked by gunmen who opened fire at their car. Saad was riding behind on a motorbike and was killed. Ummad’s father was shot five times and managed to survive, but …

Pakistan Terror attack victim to go under surgery in UK

A terror attack victim from Britain is to undergo a rare operation to remove – via his nose – a bullet that is embedded in his head. The operation to take place in a renowned hospital in Birmingham is possible thanks to a new tool called Cyclops, which allows surgeons to look around corners through a small endoscope inserted into the nose.  It has already been used to remove tumours- but this is the first time it is being used to remove a bullet …

Ahmadiyya Mosque minarets demolished in Kharian

The religious persecution of Ahmadis continued on July 10 when police authorities, under the supervision of DSP Sultan Meeran, desecrated Bait-ul-Hamd located near Kabari Bazar, Pul Nullah in Kharian, according to the spokesperson of Ahmadiyya Community. The instructions were allegedly carried out on the application filed by Saqib Shakeel Ghazi, Syed Iftikhar Kazmi and other members of Tehrik-e-Tahaffuz-e-Islam under Section 298 B and C of the 1984 ordinance. “The police officials accompanied by Town Municipal Administration (TMA) came during the …

Ahmadis, Why it’s not a minority issue?

1400 years ago in the city of Medina, the political ruler of the time whose name was Muhammad ordered a census. My guess is that it was because he wanted to figure out the total number of the residents living in that area and the demographic makeup of the society. This would then help him to lead that polity in the best and most just way possible (because administering justice is what he was famous for).  Therefore, He gave the …

US lawmakers show support for Ahmadiyya

WASHINGTON — US lawmakers on Wednesday offered support for the global leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, which has faced discrimination and violence in Pakistan and Indonesia. Lawmakers welcomed Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the leader or khalifa of the minority Muslim group, in the US Capitol complex and praised the sect for supporting inter-religious peace and efforts such as blood donation drives. Senator Robert Casey, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, praised the religious leader for the “demonstrated commitment that you have …

Pakistan, when will you accept me?

Though I was born in Pakistan, I was still a baby when my dad had to move to The Gambia in West Africa. The Gambia is a small peaceful country. Here, I remember my mother teaching me the Urdu  Qaida and telling me interesting stories about Pakistan. I could see she missed Pakistan a great deal. She would sometimes break down in tears, relating stories of the persecution she had witnessed growing up in her hometown in Sindh. My father …

Silence of the lambs: waiting for justice in the Land of the Pure

They only came to pray. They paid with their lives. Friday Prayers on 28th May 2010 for the Ahmadis of Lahore will always be remembered in blood and tears. It was supposed to be a day like any other. The Friday congregation of the community gathered as usual to offer their devotion. Immaculately dressed, heads bowed before God, serenity in the air. Then terror struck. Armed men with suicide vests and grenades descended like demons on two of the major …

For Ahmadiyya Muslims, another memorial day

On May 28th this year, we observed Memorial Day, a day to remember and honor those who have died in service to our nation. But on this year’s Memorial Day, I also reflected on other brave souls who died in another service: to their faith. May 28th has a special significance not just for me and the tens of millions of members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community worldwide. It is also a day of significance for all peace-loving and just …

HRW urges Pakistan to Prosecute Ahmadi Massacre Suspects

New York – Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments should bring to justice those responsible for the May 2010 attacks on Ahmadiyya mosques that killed 94 worshipers, Human Rights Watch said today. On May 28, 2010, militants attacked two Ahmadiyya places of worship in the city of Lahore with guns, grenades, and suicide bombs, killing 94 people and wounding well over 100. The Punjabi Taliban, a local affiliate of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (the Pakistani Taliban or TTP), claimed responsibility. Two men were …

Pakistan: Human Rights Report for 2011

The U.S. Department of State has released the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011,  The report by U.S. Department of State is submitted to the U.S. Congress. This years report again highlights the plight of minorities including Ahmadis in Pakistan. The report makes the following statements about Ahmadis : Disturbing trends include an increase in anti-Semitism, and continued persecution of other religious minorities, including Ahmadis, Baha’is, Tibetan Buddhists, Christians, Jews, and others. Minority prisoners generally were afforded …