Pakistan: Several dozen graves belonging to minority Ahmadi Muslim community desecrated

The community spokesperson called on the government to take action against the culprits, as it was feared that those who could force the closure of schools and desecrate graves may next take over the business and properties of the Ahmadi community in Dunyapur.

PHOTO: MASAUD SARWAR

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The Express Tribune
By  Abdul Manan | December 4, 2011

DUNYAPUR: A group of miscreants desecrated at least 29 graves belonging to the Ahmadiyya Community in Dunyapur district Lodhran in a late-night raid.

Ahmadiyya Community spokesperson Saleemuddin told The Express Tribune that unknown persons entered the community’s graveyard and broke the plaques (katbe) of a large number of their graves. The miscreants also dug out numerous graves before fleeing the area. Only two graves which were constructed from marble were saved from destruction the spokesperson confirmed.

He said that the local representatives of the community have approached the police and submitted their application for legal action but no investigation has been undertaken so far. He said that police officials asked the community to first rebuild their graves, following which the issue would be investigated.


District Police Office Lodhran Agha Muhammad Yusuf while talking to The Express Tribune confirmed that the graveyard had been desecrated, adding that the Dunyapur DSP had been dispatched to look into the matter. He said that he would personally look into the matter after the investigation.

Dunyapur is a tehsil of district Lodhran located about 100 kilometers away from Multan in South Punjab. There are around 15 families belonging to the Ahmadi community in the area, confirmed the Ahmadiyya community spokesperson. According to his account, six months ago, the people of Dunyapur forced the closure of a private school in the district – a school run by a member of the Ahmadi community. He said that citizens in the area took to the streets and forcibly closed the school in which many Muslim children were receiving their education free of cost.

The community spokesperson called on the government to take action against the culprits, as it was feared that those who could force the closure of schools and desecrate graves may next take over the business and properties of the Ahmadi community in Dunyapur.

The Ahmadi graveyard that was desecrated was established in 1976 at the outskirts of the city, but according to Saleemuddin, the graveyard has been in existence for at least 80 years. He said that incidents of desecrating graves of the Ahmadi community had increased over the last few months. He said that till now, a total of 30 incidents of dug out graves have been recorded in the country.


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