Pakistan: Sealed National Assembly Anti-Ahmadiyya proceedings of 1974 'released': Report

The records of the proceeding of the Parliament session were immediately sealed by the government claiming ‘sensitive’ nature of the matter after consultations with religio-political parties’ leaders. The information has been kept from the public eye ever since the fateful event that - as it is now well recognized by the most scholars and historians - placed Pakistan on the path of extremism.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Business Recorder / Ahmadiyya Times
By Imran Jattala | November 16, 2011

Islamabad - (AT): The in-camera proceedings of the constitutional amendment debate held 37 years ago in the National Assembly that outlawed Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan have been released, it was reported.

The secret proceedings of a joint sitting of the Parliament in 1974 had resulted in the passage of an amendment to the then freshly minted constitution of Pakistan that legally defined, declared and implemented a faith on a select section of the Pakistani citizenry.

“The Speaker of the National Assembly released a 21-volume official report on the proceedings of the Special Committee of the whole House held in-camera to consider the Qadiani issue,” wrote Business Recorder, a business-oriented news daily of Pakistan.

The ‘Qadiani issue’ reference in the above-quoted sentence is a derogatory-style remark by Business Recorder about the very existence of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Pakistan.


The newspaper erroneously claimed an ’exclusive’ scoop on the news, claiming to have "published an exclusive story on August 19, 2011” about the government’s decision to make public the 37-year-old proceedings records of the Parliament.

The exclusivity claim by Business Recorder cannot be affirmed.

Business Recorder, it seems, is not aware of the earlier reports where the news about unveiling of the in-camera proceedings first appeared in several media outlets in May 2011 when the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, Dr. Fahmeda Mirza, had accorded approval to open the records and publish the transcripts.

The news had appeared in both, print and broadcast media, nationally and internationally. [read here, here or here]

The authenticity of the claim by Business Recorder about the ‘exclusivity’ of the scoop remains in question.

Business Recorder has also claimed it has possession of two early volumes of the secret report.

Based upon “well-placed sources in the National Assembly,” Business Recorder wrote, the report is likely to be debated again in the House.

Since the sources of Business Recorder have already confirmed that “only the Speaker of the National Assembly has the authority to declassify secret proceedings of the Parliament,” it is unclear why a debate is necessary in the House, as reported by Business Recorder.

The passage of the second amendment to the Pakistani constitution in 1974 – which was demanded by the religious zealots in Pakistan - essentially defined what should be considered as the true faith of a confessing Muslim - a first by any country of the world – to force its citizens to accept aspects of a faith they may not agree with.

The convening of the joint sitting was maneuvered by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the then Prime Minister, who quickly rose to “solve the 90-years-old Qadiani Problem” after anti-Qadiani riots in Pakistan.

Some believe Bhutto may have had a hand in starting the riots and amplifying the law and order situation to garner support for his dwindling popularity.

A delegation from the Ahmadiyya Muslim community had appeared before the National Assembly and answered questions from the members in the first sitting of the session.

The records of the proceeding of the Parliament session were immediately sealed by the government claiming ‘sensitive’ nature of the matter after consultations with religio-political parties’ leaders.

The information has been kept from the public eye ever since the fateful event that - as it is now well recognized by most scholar and historians - placed Pakistan on the path of extremism.

The passage of second amendment served as a convenient stepping stone for the military dictatorship of the 80s, the later so-called 'democratic' governments of the 90s and extremist groups in Pakistan in enactment of the stricter anti-Ahmadiyya legislation and enhanced Blasphemy Laws.

In the recent past Punjab Governor, Salmaan Taseer and Fed. Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti have been killed for seeking to reform the infamous blasphemy laws.

 -- Ahmadiyya Times
  --By Imran Jattala: Follow on Twitter @IJattala