The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, a bipartisan body of the U.S. House of Representatives, has strongly condemned a violent attack on the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Pakistan and urged the U.S. State Department to take decisive action to protect religious minorities in the country.
The Commission reacted to reports of six Ahmadis being injured when gunmen opened fire at the Bait-ul-Mehdi mosque in Rabwah during Friday prayers. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the Commission described the incident as an “appalling attack” and called on the U.S. government to use the tools available under Pakistan’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) to pressure Islamabad into curbing violence against minority groups.
“@StateDept must use powers granted by Pakistan’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern to urge @GovtofPakistan to deter violence against religious minorities,” the Commission tweeted.
The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, which has faced systemic persecution in Pakistan. A 1974 constitutional amendment declared Ahmadis non-Muslims, and subsequent laws have restricted their religious practices. Rights groups, including the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, have repeatedly criticized Pakistan for failing to protect the community from violence and discrimination.
The Commission, established in 2008 with the unanimous consent of the U.S. House of Representatives, promotes and advocates for international human rights as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It collaborates with members of Congress, the executive branch, and civil society organizations to advance bipartisan human rights initiatives.
Chaired by Rep. James P. McGovern (D-MA) and Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), the Commission emphasized the importance of U.S. intervention to ensure Pakistan adheres to its constitutional commitment to freedom of religion.
The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice, an organization that works closely with the Commission, echoed these concerns, describing the attack as part of an escalating pattern of violence against Ahmadis. “Violent attacks on this community continue to escalate, with local and federal authorities doing little to stem the violence and persecution,” the Foundation said in a separate statement on X.
Both groups have called on Pakistan’s government to take immediate action to uphold its obligations to protect religious minorities and prevent further violence.