HRCP appalled by massacre of Ahmedis

LAHORE: It is not surprising that eight Ahmedis were gunned down while praying in Moong village, near Mandi Bahauddin, said a Human Rights Commission of Pakistan statement on Friday. The statement said that four gunmen on motorcycles fired into the congregation, also injuring old people and children in the process. It lamented that the attack was just one of many similar attacks, seen over the past few years. The HRCP statement, issued by its secretary general Syed Iqbal Haider, said the commission had warned that such outrages were caused by intolerance, hatred and militancy that had gripped Pakistan’s society. It added, “The lack of commitment to eradicating this has resulted in the loss of 115 lives to sectarian violence in the first ten months of the current year.” It said that HRCP was shocked that authorities failed to take measures to ease the situation, especially considering that Ahmedis had complained repeatedly about sectarianism. It decried that provocative material was published in local newspapers and the Ahmedi mosque was not protected, nor was any attempt made to prevent clerics in the area from fanning hatred against the community. The statement said, “It is obvious that given the prevailing environment, more such attacks will take place. More families will lose children, brothers and fathers as a result of such targeted killings. The impunity available to the murderers in the past can only encourage other zealots, blinded by hate, to follow in their footsteps.” The HRCP concluded, “Penalising those delivering inflammatory speeches, ensuring local administrations do not ignore sectarian complaints, eradicating hate material in textbooks, etc, and rehabilitating misguided militants are measures that could improve the situation but have not been taken yet. Until they are implemented, more atrocities against innocent citizens will be committed by militants.” staff report

Home | National