Pakistan: Information on the Ahmadis (Lahoris and Qadianis) in Rabwah, including the percentage of the Lahoris in the local population, whether they have equal opportunities in employment and access to services, whether they can practice freely their religion, whether they can and actually do participate in the local government, and whether the Lahori Ahmadis are influential and have good relations with Qadianis
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 June 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | PAK17727.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Pakistan: Information on the Ahmadis (Lahoris and Qadianis) in Rabwah, including the percentage of the Lahoris in the local population, whether they have equal opportunities in employment and access to services, whether they can practice freely their religion, whether they can and actually do participate in the local government, and whether the Lahori Ahmadis are influential and have good relations with Qadianis, 1 June 1994, PAK17727.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6acb76c.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
A representative of the Ahmadi Movement in Islam in Maple, Ontario, provided the following information on the above subject during a telephone interview on 28 June 1994.
The population of Rabwah is about 100,000, of whom about 95 per cent are Ahmadis. They are "all" Qadianis. The representative is unaware of the existence of Lahori Ahmadis in this city and states that if there is a Lahori community, it probably is not numerically significant. The representative adds that Pakistani authorities and anti-Ahmadi groups do not distinguish between Lahoris and Qadianis, since they consider Ahmadis, irrespective of their sect, to be non-Muslims.
Regardless of their sect, Ahmadis in Rabwah face discrimination and ill-treatment. Ahmadis cannot and do not participate in local government, since local government will not hire them. Nor is there any significant private sector to offer employment. The local private sector is limited to retailstores. As a result, most Ahmadis live on money sent home by relatives residing abroad.
The Ahmadis of Rabwah do not have guaranteed access to services. Because about 95 per cent of the local population are Ahmadis, local primary and high schools have no choice but to register them. However, this is not a guaranteed right since Ahmadi students could be denied registration. There is also a college that will accept Ahmadis, but due to the discrimination against them, it is very difficult for Ahmadi graduates to continue their studies at universities elsewhere in Pakistan. There is an Ahmadi clinic in Rabwah that provides medical services to the Ahmadi community. There is also a hospital that may or may not accept Ahmadis; Ahmadis do not have guaranteed access to this hospital.
The Ahmadis in Rabwah cannot practice their religion freely. There are Ahmadis mosques in Rabwah that operate "under fear." Gatherings in these mosques and Friday prayers are prohibited. Mosques might be attacked and/or closed down.
While Ahmadis face ill-treatment in Pakistan, the Ahmadis of Rabwah face a particular type of mistreatment. In 1990 the government of Pakistan charged the entire Ahmadi community in Rabwah with violating the Pakistani constitution which declares the Ahmadis to be non-Muslims. Every member of the Ahmadi community in Rabwah has been subject to official ill-treatment since that time.
Referring to a report produced by a senior advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, a recent DIRB publication entitled Ahmadis in Pakistan: Update December 1991 to October 1993 states that "the Ahmadi community of Rabwah has been the worst hit of all Ahmadi communities in Pakistan" (Jan. 1994, 10). This publication provides general information on the situation of Ahmadis in Pakistan. As well, the attached Responses to Information Requests PAK14694 of 12 July 1993 and PAK10183 of 28 January 1992 provide information on the situation of the Ahmadis in Rabwah.
The attached Reuters article reports on a government ban imposed on a gathering of Ahmadis in Rabwah in 1990.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Ahmadi Movement in Islam, Maple, Ont. 28 June 1994. Telephone interview with representative.
Documentation, Information and Research Branch (DIRB), Immigration and Refugee Board, Ottawa. January 1994. Ahmadis in Pakistan: Update December 1991 to October 1993.
Attachments
Documentation, Information and Research Branch (DIRB), Immigration and Refugee Board, Ottawa. 12 July 1993. Response to Information Request PAK14694.
Immigration and Refugee Board Documentation Centre (IRBDC), Ottawa. 28 January 1992. Response to Information Request PAK10183.
Reuters. 9 November 1990. BC Cycle. "Pakistan Bans Ahmadia Sect Meetings." (NEXIS)
