By A. Abdul Aziz, Press Secretary’ Ahmadiyya Muslim JamaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢at, Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ According to our Press Department, U.K., on 7^th of March 2012, a well known and respected Ahmadi Muslim, Mr Maqsood Ahmad (58), was martyred in Nawab Shah, Sindh after a sectarian attack. This latest attack comes just days after another Ahmadi Muslim, Mr Chaudhury Muhammad Akram was also martyred in Nawab Shah.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Just after 2pm local time Mr Maqsood Ahmad was stopped by unknown assailants in the Mohni shopping area and they started firing at him. Due to the severity of the attack, Mr Maqsood Ahmad died instantly. The deceased had been in the area on routine business in his capacity as a salesman for a private medicinal company.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The deceased lived in Rabwah but regularly travelled to Nawab Shah for work purposes. Because of his regular visits he had become well known in the area where he was attacked. For some time he had been receiving various threats, whilst one of his clients had also been intimidated and told to stop dealing with Maqsood Ahmad because he was an Ahmadi Muslim.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The spokesman for the International Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Abid Khan said:

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Hatred against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat in Pakistan continues to spread and leads to such tragic incidents. Hatred and persecution of any organisation or group must be condemned by all those who believe in peace and tolerance. Such attacks serve only to destabilise society and to spread discord.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The International Community, Media and Human Rights organisations are all urged to take action to safeguard the basic human and civil rights of Ahmadi Muslims both in Pakistan and in other countries where they face discrimination. In an era where freedom of religion and belief is accepted as a basic human right throughout the world it is of disbelief that anti-Ahmadiyya legislation is still active and indeed still being enforced in Pakistan.