- Joined
- Mar 11, 2013
- Messages
- 13,284
- Points
- 113
LAHORE
An Ahmadi man, Ameer Hassan Mardani, was killed in a targeted attack by unknown assailants as they rode by on a motorcycle. The incident took place in the Fazl Bhambro area of Naukot police station, in District Mirpurkhas.
According to the details, provided by the Ahmadiyya community spokesperson, the deceased was returning home with his son after offering morning prayers. He had reached near his house when two unknown persons came on a motorcycle and asked him his name. Once he identified himself, they opened fire at him directly and sped away.
The bullets hit Ameer Hassan Mardani in the chest, killing him on the spot.
Mardani was in his 40s. He is survived by his wife, three daughters and two sons. The eldest daughter is 14 years old, while the youngest is only eight months old.
“We have been told by community members that he was kind-hearted and had no enmity with anyone,” said Amir Mehmood, the spokesperson of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya. “He was a local official of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Mirpurkhas. There had been reports of serious religious opposition towards him for his faith.”
Mahmood expressed deep sorrow and grief over the brutal murder and said that once again the wave of attacks against Ahmadis had gained traction.
Last week, a religious fanatic in Rawalpindi killed an Ahmadi man Tayyab Ahmad, using an axe. Tayyab who was living in Rajanpur, had been visiting his brother in the Dhamial Camp area of Rawalpindi. He was at his brother Tahir’s shop when the attack took place. There had been earlier attacks on the shop as well, when miscreants had pelted rocks at it and had also issued threats. Tahir had been receiving so many threats that he had recently moved his family out of Rawalpindi for safety.
The attacker had also invoked prior warnings for ‘Qadianis’ (a derogatory word) to leave the area. Tayyab had died immediately after the attack.
“A hate campaign is being launched across the country against Ahmadis, which has been steadily increasing the feeling of insecurity among Ahmadis,” said Mehmood. Speaking on behalf of the entire community in Pakistan, he demanded accountability and justice for the victims of these crimes, and said that it was the responsibility of the authorities to provide protection to them, especially as they had always remained peaceful.
“State institutions should root out extremists who incite hatred against Ahmadis,” he said.
The region of Mirpurkhas (Division) was highlighted in the news in September when the murder of a doctor shook the entire province.
Dr Shah Nawaz Kumbhar was killed for alleged blasphemy which he had denied committing. However, he was at first extrajudicially shot and killed by a police officer, who was later celebrated by the hardline elements in the area, and then later when the family was taking his body for burial, a mob attacked the body and tried to set it on fire. Civil society took the incident seriously and raised an uproar.
An Ahmadi man, Ameer Hassan Mardani, was killed in a targeted attack by unknown assailants as they rode by on a motorcycle. The incident took place in the Fazl Bhambro area of Naukot police station, in District Mirpurkhas.
According to the details, provided by the Ahmadiyya community spokesperson, the deceased was returning home with his son after offering morning prayers. He had reached near his house when two unknown persons came on a motorcycle and asked him his name. Once he identified himself, they opened fire at him directly and sped away.
The bullets hit Ameer Hassan Mardani in the chest, killing him on the spot.
Mardani was in his 40s. He is survived by his wife, three daughters and two sons. The eldest daughter is 14 years old, while the youngest is only eight months old.
“We have been told by community members that he was kind-hearted and had no enmity with anyone,” said Amir Mehmood, the spokesperson of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya. “He was a local official of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Mirpurkhas. There had been reports of serious religious opposition towards him for his faith.”
Mahmood expressed deep sorrow and grief over the brutal murder and said that once again the wave of attacks against Ahmadis had gained traction.
Last week, a religious fanatic in Rawalpindi killed an Ahmadi man Tayyab Ahmad, using an axe. Tayyab who was living in Rajanpur, had been visiting his brother in the Dhamial Camp area of Rawalpindi. He was at his brother Tahir’s shop when the attack took place. There had been earlier attacks on the shop as well, when miscreants had pelted rocks at it and had also issued threats. Tahir had been receiving so many threats that he had recently moved his family out of Rawalpindi for safety.
The attacker had also invoked prior warnings for ‘Qadianis’ (a derogatory word) to leave the area. Tayyab had died immediately after the attack.
“A hate campaign is being launched across the country against Ahmadis, which has been steadily increasing the feeling of insecurity among Ahmadis,” said Mehmood. Speaking on behalf of the entire community in Pakistan, he demanded accountability and justice for the victims of these crimes, and said that it was the responsibility of the authorities to provide protection to them, especially as they had always remained peaceful.
“State institutions should root out extremists who incite hatred against Ahmadis,” he said.
The region of Mirpurkhas (Division) was highlighted in the news in September when the murder of a doctor shook the entire province.
Dr Shah Nawaz Kumbhar was killed for alleged blasphemy which he had denied committing. However, he was at first extrajudicially shot and killed by a police officer, who was later celebrated by the hardline elements in the area, and then later when the family was taking his body for burial, a mob attacked the body and tried to set it on fire. Civil society took the incident seriously and raised an uproar.
