Ahmadi man gunned down in Mirpurkhas

CHENAB NAGAR: An Ahmadi man was killed in the Fazal Bhamro area in the jurisdiction of ​​Naukot police station, Mirpurkhas district on Friday, according to Jamaat Ahmadiyya spokesman, Amir Mahmud. 

The deceased, Amir Hassan Marrani, was shot dead by two unidentified persons who opened fire on him as he rode back to his home with his son, following morning prayers. 

According to the details shared, assailants asked the deceased’s name before the assault. Marrani, 40, was a local official of the Jamaat Ahmadiyya and had also faced religious opposition in the past. He leaves behind his wife, and five children with the youngest being eight-months-old. 

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Mahmud expressed deep sorrow and anger over the incident, stating that incidents of targeted killings of Ahmadis are on the rise. 

“A campaign of incitement against Ahmadis is being carried out across the country, increasing the sense of insecurity in the community,” he said. 

The spokesman has demanded that the government provide protection to Ahmadis and bring the killers before the law.

Earlier in March, a prominent Ahmadiyya leader, Tahir Iqbal, was fatally shot in Bahawalpur’s Hasilpur district. The 54-year-old community president was targeted by unidentified assailants while he took his morning walk. Mirpurkhas witnessed a similar incident in 2014 when an Ahmadi homeopath, Dr Mubashir Khoso, was shot dead at his clinic. The attack was believed to be targeted and mirrored a similar incident in 2008 against another Ahmadi doctor in the same city. 

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United Nations experts in July had expressed deep concern over rising discrimination and violence against Ahmadiyya minority. They highlighted incidents like extrajudicial killings and attacks on places of worship. The experts urged immediate action to address these issues and condemn the atmosphere of hatred and discrimination.