Islamabad, September 5, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Karachi-based International Human Rights Committee (IHRC) has called for immediate justice and accountability following the killing of Mirza Safdar Mahmood, a 65-year-old local leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
Mahmood was shot dead in Mandi Bahauddin while travelling to an Ahmadi place of worship, according to a report cited by Spanish media outlet Atalayar.
The IHRC, which focuses on the rights of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, described the incident as a targeted killing and said it must be viewed against what it called a deeply disturbing pattern of anti-Ahmadi hatred, incitement and threats in Pakistan.
Representatives of the Ahmadiyya community reportedly said Mahmood had no personal disputes or known prior animosity, pointing, in their view, to religious intolerance as the possible motive for the killing.
Mahmood is survived by his wife and two children. His funeral and burial were subsequently held in Rabwah, the report said.
The IHRC said the killing occurred amid increasing hate speech and alleged incitement targeting Ahmadis in Mandi Bahauddin district.
According to the report, religious figures in the area had recently issued threats, including alleged public death threats against a local police officer because of his Ahmadi faith, as well as intimidation targeting pregnant Ahmadi women.
The report also cited previous violence in the area, noting that two members of the Ahmadiyya community were shot dead in separate armed attacks in Sadullahpur on June 8, 2024.
The IHRC said the Pakistani state has an obligation to protect the rights to life, personal security and freedom of religion of all citizens without discrimination, citing principles under the United Nations Charter and international human rights frameworks.
The Ahmadiyya community has called on Pakistan’s federal government to conduct a swift, comprehensive and impartial judicial investigation into Mahmood’s killing and hold both the perpetrators and those responsible for allegedly inciting sectarian hatred accountable.
It also urged authorities to strengthen protective measures to prevent further attacks against the Ahmadiyya community in Punjab.
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