Punjab Medical College Expels 23 Ahmedi Students

June 5, 2008: Punjab Medical College expelled 23 students belonging to Ahmedi faith. Few days before expulsions it was alleged that they were preaching their faith.

BBC reported that Islami Jamiat-e-tulba students surrounded the principal's offices and raised slogans against the Ahmedi students. List of 23 Ahmedi students, rusticated from the college, was then released by the college administration. The same day, a mob of about 300 college students also barged into Ahmedis students’ rooms, beat them and threw their luggage out of their rooms.

Ahmedis, like other minorities, have been persecuted in Pakistan using discriminatory laws. They have faced hostile environments in Pakistan where they have been mascaraed at their religious places (click here for firing on Ahmedi Mosque).

ANAA takes a strong stand supporting Ahmedi students and demands that:

1. Students should be immediately re-instated.

2. Incident should be properly investigated and perpetrators identified and punished so that all minorities feel safe in the university.

Brief History of Ahmedi community click here

List of Ahmedis persecuted in Pakistan click here

Amnesty on Religious Freedom in Pakistan click here

2006: US state Department on Religious Freedom in Pakistan click here

News Reports:

BBC Coverage of the incident in Urdu click here
8th June: Further details of the incident leading to Ahmedi students expulsion: Daily Times
6th June 2008: DAWN, Daily Times