SIALKOT:Â Police in Sialkot have booked dozens of suspects under terrorism and criminal charges after a mob attacked members of the Ahmadi community, vandalised their homes and shops, and clashed with law enforcement late Sunday night.
The case was registered at Moutra police station on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Amir Ali Sindhu. According to the FIR, police received reports around 8pm that an incited crowd had gathered in Piro Chak village following tensions over the burial of an Ahmadi woman earlier this month.
When officers reached the spot, they encountered 200 to 250 armed men who allegedly pelted stones, looted properties, set farmhouses on fire, and snatched weapons from policemen.
The FIR lists offences ranging from dacoity and attempted murder to promoting religious enmity and terrorism, invoking multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code along with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
District Police Officer Faisal Shehzad confirmed that eight people were injured in the violence — five belonging to the Ahmadi community and three associated with the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). He said one Ahmadi man sustained a gunshot wound but all victims were out of danger.
Police said the incident followed days of rising hostility in the area. On Saturday, members of the Ahmadi community were accused of beating a local resident, after which TLP supporters allegedly set fire to their properties.
Anti-riot units were later dispatched to the area to disperse the mob and bring the situation under control. Officials said further arrests are expected after the investigation is completed.
Sunday’s violence is the latest in a string of attacks targeting the Ahmadi community this year. Similar mob assaults were reported in Faisalabad, Daska, and Karachi, where worship places were set ablaze and community members were assaulted despite repeated assurances of protection from authorities.
