Home Critical Analysis/Archives Plight of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan

Le Contrat Sociale
Basis of the Pakistani State

Whenever a new state or a country comes into existence, its founding fathers have a vision of the future state. In consultation with and with concurrence of the people involved, they undertake, in effect, a social contract which forms the basic, firm and inviolable part of the foundation of the new state. Such an understanding indeed existed and was formally announced during the Pakistan Movement. Any violation of this firm undertaking is highly dishonest and cannot but hit at and destroy the foundation of Pakistan. The texts of only four such formal undertakings are reproduced here.

1.	Resolution adopted by the Lahore Session of the Muslim League on the 23rd of March 1940 The Clause, concerning minorities, in the Resolution for the scheme favored therein, known in political parlance as the Pakistan Scheme, read as follows:
		Adequate, effective and mandatory safeguards should be specifically provided in the Constitution for minorities in these units and in the regions for the protection of their religious, cultural, economic, political, administrative and other rights, and interests in consultation with them; and in other parts of India where the Mussalmans are in a minority, adequate, effective and mandatory safeguards shall be specifically provided in the Constitution for them and other minorities for their religious, cultural, economic, political, administrative and other rights, and interests in consultation with them.
	In serious violation of this Clause, ‘Non-Muslim minority’ status was forcibly imposed upon Ahmadi Muslims in 1974, and the same was used in 1984 as the basis for Ordinance XX which deprived them of their freedom of faith and religion.
2.	Announcement of the Quaid-i-Azam, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the Father of the new Nation, before the First Session of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, on 11 August 1947
		“Everyone of you, no matter to what community he belongs, no matter what relations he had with you in the past, no matter what is his color, caste or creed is first, second and last a citizen of this State with equal rights, privileges and obligations, there will be no end to the progress you will make... You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan... You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State.... We are starting in the days when there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste or creed and another. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State.”
	To whatever Ahmadi Muslims have been subjected since 1974, is entirely in violation of this solemn undertaking announced at the birth of the new nation. History will not judge this breech of trust lightly.
3.	1973 Constitution, still in force, binds the State to the following:
		“Subject to law, public order and morality (a) every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice and propagate his religion; and (b) every religious denomination and every sect thereof shall have the right to establish, maintain and manage its religious institutions.”

As far as Ahmadis are concerned, the constitutional guarantees provided by this Article were set aside later by an amendment, and further violation of these provisions was undertaken through Ordinance XX promulgated by the dictator President, General Zia, in 1984. This ordinance was made a part of the Eighth Amendment to the 1973 Constitution in 1988.

4.   Universal Declaration of Human Rights

“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.” Article 18

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Article 19

AUTHORITIES TAKE EXCEPTION TO A PROTEST BY AHMADIS
In 1997, when Ahmadiyya Mosque in Chakwal was shut down by authorities and Ahmadis were denied worship there, protests were made in appropriate quarters who took notice of this serious violation of human rights. The authorities did not like this and conveyed their displeasure to the Ahmadi delegation that called on the Assistant Commissioner to defend and explain Ahmadiyya point of view. He heard little, and expressed his great displeasure in words to the effect: “Administration is fed up of complaints; you people are initiators of all this; your worship was interrupted for one day and you took up the issue far and wide and made it a Human Rights issue; even foreigners have protested; it is all because of you that foreign visitors have started visiting you; all this is not acceptable and we shall take severe notice of all this”.

Authorities would like to take away even the right of 'protest against tyranny' from Ahmadis.