Ahmadi worship place, which was built by country's first Foreign Minister Zafarullah Khan, demolished in Pakistan

The local administration in Pakistan's Daska region has demolished an Ahmadi worship place, which was built by the country’s first foreign minister Zafarullah Khan, by terming it an encroachment.

The demolition carried out on Jan 16, followed a notice issued two days earlier under the Punjab Local Government Act, claiming that an extension of the structure was illegal as it encroached 13 feet onto a public road, reported Dawn News.

Ahmadiyya community members said they tried to comply with the notice by removing the marked 13 feet on Jan 15.

They said despite taking the stance, Daska Assistant Commissioner Maham Mushtaq, accompanied by police, proceeded with the demolition later.

According to reports, electricity to the worship place and surrounding areas was cut off during the operation which lasted for nearly four hours.

This was the latest instance of targeting the community in Pakistan.

Data shows that at least 22 of their worship places were demolished across Punjab in 2024, reported Dawn News.

Aamir Mahmood, spokesperson for Jamaat Ahmadiyya Pakistan, accused the local administration of continuously targeting the community’s properties and ignoring their grievances.

He told Dawn News that the demolished structure, built by Zafarullah Khan’s family before Pakistan’s creation, had not been altered or extended since its original construction.

Who was Zafarullah Khan?

Zafarullah Khan was a prominent Ahmaddiya community member. He served as the first foreign minister of the South Asian country from 1947 to 1954.