SRINAGAR, Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir – An attack on a worship place belonging to the Ahmadiyya Community in Kotli district of Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) left at least five women and three men injured. The incident occurred during daylight hours when a group of over 50 unidentified assailants armed with hammers, shovels, sticks, and other weapons stormed the Baitul Zikr worship place in the Bhabra area of Kotli.
The attackers demolished four minarets and the arch (mehrab) of the worship place, and some fired shots into the air to intimidate the Ahmadiyya community members. Among the injured was Zahida Parveen, an Ahmadi woman. All eight injured individuals, including five women and three men, were rushed to Kotli District Hospital for treatment. The Ahmadiyya community following the incident filed a written complaint with the Kotli police, urging them to take action against the perpetrators.
This attack followed demands from opponents of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya to demolish the minarets atop the worship place, who had issued an ultimatum to the local administration, threatening to take matters into their own hands if the minarets were not demolished by December 16, last year. Similar attacks had occurred previously, with miscreants demolishing minarets at another Ahmadi worship place in Kotli on November 24, 2023.
The violent attack on the Ahmadiyya worship place has raised concerns for the safety and security of the community in PoJK. The authorities have been urged to take strict action against the perpetrators and provide protection to the Ahmadiyya community members. The incident has sparked outrage and calls for justice from human rights organizations and activists. The Ahmadiyya community remains firm in its resolve to practice their faith peacefully, despite facing continuous threats and attacks.