A group of attackers vandalized an Ahmadiyya place of worship in the Dholanabad neighborhood of the Mirpurkhas city in the Sindh province on Thursday, destroying three of its four minarets and leaving a gaping hole into the mihrab.

A Jamaat-e-Ahmaddiya spokesperson said the mob, which according to him numbered around 150 people, also set fire to the building. However, local people told Aaj News there no traces of arson were seen in the building – one of two Ahamddiya places of worship in the city.

Police officials were still holding discussions on the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) into the attack as of Thursday evening.

A string of attacks have been reported this year against Ahmaddiya places of worship in different cities of Pakistan including Karachi — most of them targeting minarets.

“A group of 150 vandalized and set fire to the Ahmadiyya place of worship in Dholanabad, Mirpurkhas.The group destroyed the minarets and caused extensive damage to the interior of the worship place,” said Amir Mehmood, the spokesperson of Jamaat-e-Ahmaddiya in Pakistan in a statement issued to journalists.

A video clip shared by Mehmood shows nearly half a dozen people on the roof of the building. They use hammers to knock down the minarets.

“The police are not registering a case for the incident, and it is unfortunate that state institutions are targeting the oppressed class and delaying action instead of taking immediate steps against extremist,” he said.

Police sources told Aaj News that senior police officials had held discussions with the Ahmadiyya community and the question before them was whether to name individuals or a mob in the FIR.

Five attacks in Sindh

The Jamaat-e-Ahamddiya spokesperson recounted the attacks against Ahmaddiya worship places in the country since January 2023, saying at least five attacks were reported in Sindh alone.

On January 18, a group of assailants attacked the Ahmadiyya Baitul Zikr in Martin Road, Karachi, and on February 2, the Ahmadiyya Hall in Saddar, Karachi was vandalized, said Mehmood.

Similarly, on February 3rd, unidentified individuals destroyed the minarets of the Ahmadiyya Baitul Zikr in Goth Chaudhry Javed Ahmed Mirpur Khas, and set it on fire, he said.

On February 3, the Ahmadiyya worship place in Noor Nagar, Umerkot was also set on fire. On February 4th, unidentified individuals opened fire on the Ahmadiyya worship place in Satellite Town, Mirpur Khas, while Ahmadis were inside, according to the spokesperson.

This ongoing persecution of the Ahmadiyya community is deeply concerning, he said.

This story was origianlly publihsed on Thursday, May 4, 2023.