Wajid offers condolences with head of Ahmadiyya Jamaat

---Associated Press of Pakistan

Wajid offers condolences with head of Ahmadiyya Jamaat

LONDON, June 9 (APP): In the wake of terrorist attacks on the two places of worship in Lahore belonging to the Ahmadiyya community in which more than 90 innocent people were killed, Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan accompanied by a senior official of the High Commission visited the Ahmadiyya spiritual leader Mirza Masroor Ahmed in Merton, south west London. The High Commissioner offered his condolences to the members of the Ahmadiyya community and fellow citizens based in the United Kingdom as well as to the bereaved families, said a press release of the High Commission.

Hasan underlined that the perpetrators have been condemned by the entire political leadership in Pakistan as well as the common people.

Neither the Government nor anyone in Pakistan condones such wanton acts of killings, he said.

The Ahmadiyya spiritual leader thanked the High Commissioner and the Government of Pakistan for showing their concern. While condemning the attack in the strongest words, Mirza Masroor Ahmed called for arrest of the perpetrators and urged for exemplary punishments to them.

He mentioned the past incidents of target killings of the citizens of Pakistan belonging to the Ahmadiyya Group by the religious fanatics in Pakistan. He regretted the discriminatory treatment meted out to Ahmadis and in this regard cited the ordinance of 1984 and separate electoral list.

The High Commissioner assured him that his concerns will be conveyed to the Government of Pakistan. He underscored various measures taken by the present democratic Government to ensure that the rights of the minorities in Pakistan are respected.

URL: www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=105669&Itemid=2

Violence against us enjoys ‘legal sanction’: Ahmadis

---The News International, Pakistan

Monday, May 31, 2010, Jamadi-us-Sani 16, 1431 A.H.

Violence against us enjoys ‘legal sanction’: Ahmadis

Monday, May 31, 2010
By our correspondent

LAHORE

AHMADIYYA Community Director Mirza Ghulam Ahmed has alleged that all violent acts against the community members enjoy ‘legal sanction’.

Addressing a press conference at the community’s worship place in Garhi Shahu on Sunday, he lamented that since 1974, those associated with the Jamaat had been facing prejudicial treatment, and were even losing their lives at the hands of terrorists.

He said that 95 innocent people lost their lives in the attacks on two centres of the community where they had gathered to offer prayers, and asked wasn’t it the duty of the provincial government to protect them?

Mirza Ghulam Ahmed said the Ahmadiyya community was declared non-Muslim in 1974 by the government through a constitutional amendment and since 1984, the members of the Jamaat had not been able to hold a major gathering. He said the last gathering of the community took place in 1983 and afterwards, their public activities were banned, but those who wanted to eliminate the community members were allowed to hold event. He said the government had also imposed a ban on their prayer call.

To a question about the findings of investigation of Friday tragedy, Mirza Ghulam Ahmed said that so far the Punjab government had not taken the community on board regarding the matter. He said the Ahmadiyya community had played a great role in the Pakistan Movement and later defended the homeland against any aggression. He said the members of the community fought battles for the country and sacrificed their lives but unfortunately, they were declared ‘Wajibul Qatal’ by different elements of the society. He also protested against the display of banners against the Ahmadiyya community, saying a planned campaign against the Jamaat continued unabated.

To a query about the involvement of the Research and Intelligence Wing (RAW) in the Friday carnage, he said he did not think it proper to comment on it. He said the community members were living in India as well as in Pakistan and they had affiliation with their respective countries. The community also issued the list of people who lost their lives in the attacks on the worship places.

Meanwhile, the message of Head of the Ahmadiyya Community Mirza Masroor Ahmed was also circulated among the media persons.

Mirza Mansoor Ahmed condemned the Friday’s terror attacks in Lahore as barbaric. The message further stated that the situation in Pakistan was extremely grave and for decades, Ahmadis had not been able to live in peace, in fact they were living in constant danger.

Mirza further said, ‘The Ahmadiyya is a peace-loving Jamaat, thus there will be no improper reaction from any Ahmadiyya.’ Reporters also visited the site attacked by the terrorists.

URL: www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=242193