India slams Pakistan over Ahmadi man's killing, says sad reflection of minorities' state
Nov 13, 2020
New Delhi [India], November 13 : Deploring the killing of an 82-year-old Ahmadi man in Peshawar, India on Thursday slammed Pakistan, saying minority community's space to practice their religion in the country has "shrunk", adding that the recent killing is a reflection of the state of minorities there.
Speaking during a press briefing, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "This is, unfortunately, a sad reflection of the state of minorities in Pakistan. Over a period of time, we have seen the space for people from the minority community to practice their religion shrink continuously. Besides, their condition remains deplorable."
"We have seen media reports of an 82-year-old Ahmadi man believed to have been shot and killed by some gunmen, apparently because of his faith, in Peshawar," Srivastava said.
The statement comes after the gunman shot and killed an 82-year-old Ahmadi man on the outskirts of Pakistan's Peshawar on Monday, Al Jazeera reported. Mahmoob Khan was shot on Sunday at a bus terminal.
"Another innocent Ahmadi, 82-year-old Mahboob Ahmad Khan was fatally shot in Sheikh Mohammadi area of Peshawar today because of his faith. Mahboob sahab was visiting his daughter when unknown assailants shot him at close range, that killed him at the spot," Saleem Uddin, a spokesperson for Pakistan's Ahmadi community had tweeted.
Uddin said he believed gunmen targeted Khan because of his faith.
Responding to killing, Srivastava further said, "We have been consistently raising the issue of the safety, security, and well-being of minority communities with the Government of Pakistan."
Recently, a 168-page report by UK-based All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Ahmadi Muslim Community had revealed details about the discrimination Ahmadi community has been facing in Pakistan.
The report titled "Suffocation of the Faithful - the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan and the rise of International Extremism" categorically says that persecution against the peace-loving community intensified following the partition of the Indian subcontinent and the formation of Pakistan.
