A mob of radical Islamists attacked an Ahmadiyya community in Karachi, Pakistan, resulting in one man’s death. The victim, a 47-year-old car workshop owner, was identified as an Ahmadi by the mob and beaten with sticks and bricks.
The attack occurred after a group of over 400 Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) workers gathered near the mobile market, where the community’s place of worship is located. The TLP is a hardline Islamist group that has been temporarily banned in Pakistan.
Police eventually dispersed the group, allowing those trapped inside to come out. However, dozens of people were taken into protective custody, and it is unclear what happened to the detainees.
The Ahmadiyya community is considered a persecuted minority by the Pakistani state, which has made it illegal to call them Muslims and use Islamic symbols. The group dates back to a reformist theologian in the late 1800s and estimates that there are over 12 million Ahmadiyya worldwide.
The attack on Friday was part of a pattern of intensified violence against the Ahmadiyya community in recent years. Local authorities claim that they aimed to pressure local authorities to arrest members of the Ahmadiyya community, but no charges have been brought against those responsible for the attack.
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has condemned the incident as a “failure of law and order” and called for swift action against the perpetrators.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/pakistan-islamist-mob-beat-ahmadi-man-to-death-in-karachi/a-72284403