Gujranwala [Pakistan], July 7 (ANI): Authorities in Pakistan have charged a member of the persecuted Ahmadiyya community with blasphemy for distributing langar (free food) during the Islamic holy day of Ashura in the eastern city of Gujranwala, Dawn reported.

According to the report, on Sunday a citizen filed a First Information Report (FIR) at the Satellite Town Police Station, alleging that the Ahmadi man was seen distributing biryani at 4:30 pm while 'identifying himself as a Muslim and speaking and acting like a Muslim.'

The complainant claimed that the accused fled when approached. The case was registered under Section 298(C) of the Pakistan Penal Code, which criminalises Ahmadis for referring to themselves as Muslims or engaging in Islamic practices.

Dawn also reported that last month, the Lahore High Court Bar Association wrote to the Punjab Inspector General of Police, requesting preventive action against the Ahmadi community ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. The letter stated that followers of other religions and sects -- particularly Ahmadis -- are 'neither legally nor religiously permitted' to observe Islamic rituals.

In its coverage of the incident, Dawn also referenced the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan's (HRCP) report titled Under Siege: Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2023-24, released in March 2024.

According to the report, as of October 2023, more than 750 individuals were imprisoned on blasphemy charges across Pakistan. The HRCP documented at least four faith-based killings during the reporting period, three of which involved members of the Ahmadiyya community.

The HRCP report also noted an increase in disinformation-driven blasphemy cases and highlighted concerns regarding the 'arbitrary detention' of Ahmadis, desecration of their graves, and the broader vulnerability of minority groups, including Hindu and Christian women, to forced conversions.

The Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan has long faced legal and social restrictions. Under Pakistani law, Ahmadis are officially declared non-Muslims and are prohibited from using Islamic symbols or terminology.

The law has repeatedly been invoked to prevent members of the community from performing basic religious acts, including greeting others with traditional Islamic phrases, reciting the Quran publicly, or naming their places of worship as mosques.

The case in Gujranwala adds to a series of incidents involving the Ahmadiyya community, who face legal and social limitations in Pakistan under laws enacted since 1974. (ANI)