Engr. Muhammad Ayyub, Switzerland

“Politicians will only care about Ahmadi community when they are not on the separate electorate anymore.” Asma Jahangir said.

Leading human rights activist, former chairperson HRCP and former president Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan Asma Jahangir while speaking to The Express Tribune said that the government officials have always given a message that they do not recognise the Ahmadi community, which is “treated like lepers and Jews” in Pakistan.

Commenting on the current state of Ahmadi persecution, Jahangir said that “the situation is so bad that I, who do not support the Ahmadi faith but oppose their persecution, have been threatened.”

As long as Ahmadis are on this minority list / the separate electorate, thereafter effects will not change eventually in Pakistan. The typical experience confirms that the politicians do not care for any individual or for that matter even for a community having no vote. For the last 38 years Ahmadis in Pakistan have been deliberately put in this state by the state. Ahmadis living in Pakistan and particularly living abroad must use all means to have back their right of vote from the usurpers. It is strange that all other minorities living in Pakistan are part of Common List along with official Muslims and only Ahmadis are excluded from this list.

Logically Joint electorate is the only solution of this giant mistake recurring in Pakistan. The respected CJ famed for his Suo Moto actions throughout the world has so far not shown any concern for the violation of Article 20 of the constitution. May be that only Ahmadis are affected from this obvious discrimination.

There could be a trust of fair treatment to Ahmadis in coming elections once Justice Fakhruddin G Ebrahim has been appointed as CEC recently. Clearly this time it is a test case for respected CEC. Also yesterday President Asif Ali Zardari has talked on this subject of free and fair elections.

LAHORE: An Ahmadi jeweller in Silanwali, Sargodha was charged with blasphemy for the second time in his life for “posing as a Muslim” and for putting up a translation of the Quranic text in his shop.

Muhammad Ashraf, who was earlier charged along with his co-workers in 2009 for posing as Muslims, was charged with blasphemy on July 23 this year under Section 298-C on the complaint of Hafiz Muhammad Imran.

Ashraf was sent to Central Jail Sargodha on July 24 and was released on bail on the exchange of bail bonds worth Rs50,000 on July 31. The case is under trial at a local magisterial court in Sargodha.