Islamabad, September 20, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has upheld a Punjab government ban on the 23-volume Rohani Khazayeen, a collection of writings by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya community, with rights campaigners describing the ruling as a further restriction on Ahmadi religious expression.
A two-judge FCC bench headed by Justice Aamer Farooq dismissed petitions challenging the ban and upheld a June 25, 2014 notification issued by the Punjab Home Department under Section 99-A of the Criminal Procedure Code. The notification banned Rohani Khazayeen Volumes 1 to 23 and ordered copies to be forfeited, according to court reporting by Dawn.
The petitioners had argued that the ban violated Article 20 of Pakistan’s Constitution, which guarantees freedom to profess, practise and propagate religion. The FCC held that religious freedom is subject to law, public policy and morality, and said the petitioners had failed to place before the court the material necessary to properly examine the content of the publication and the basis for the ban.
The court also noted that an Ulema Board had examined the material and recommended forfeiture on the grounds that it could cause hatred among Muslims. The judgment held that the provincial action was traceable to statutory powers under the CrPC and the relevant publications ordinance.
The ruling was described by Italian sociologist of religion Massimo Introvigne, writing in Bitter Winter, as a new stage in restrictions on Ahmadi religious literature. He argued that the judgment gives judicial backing to restrictions imposed through a provincial executive order and a clerical advisory process.
The development comes amid renewed international concern over the treatment of Ahmadis in Pakistan. UN human rights experts on September 7 expressed concern over reports of discrimination, violence, criminal prosecutions, attacks on Ahmadi places of worship, desecration of graves, disruption of religious observances and hate speech targeting the community. They urged Pakistan to investigate alleged violations, prosecute those responsible and protect freedom of religion or belief.
The FCC’s decision leaves the ban on Rohani Khazayeen in force, restricting its publication and circulation in Pakistan.
FOLLOW NOW
