Ahmadiyya Community leader shot dead in Bahawalpur

A local Ahmadiyya community leader Tahir Iqbal Cheema has been shot dead in Hasilpur, Bahawalpur. This is a disturbing development of an ongoing campaign against the minority in Pakistan.

Tahir Iqbal lived in Chak 84, Hasilpur Tehsil of Bhawalpur. Eyewitnesses told Tahir was out on a usual walk when suspected armed men approached and shot him. The attackers shot the Ahmadiyya Community leader twice to ensure Tahir was dead.

A local leader of the Ahmadiyya Community was shot and killed in Bahawalpur on Monday in a chilling escalation of an ongoing campaign targeting the community
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Tahir fell to the ground and died instantly after the fatal shooting. Afterward, the culprits left the crime scene immediately. According to locals and family members, Tahir had no grudge against anyone and was not involved in any disputes.

A spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Community informed The Friday Times that Tahir was a nice and upstanding man with a clean reputation who worked as a small landlord.

Hence, he considered the death of Tahir as an ongoing campaign against his community motivated by religious membership. This is because Tahir did not have any personal enmity.

The spokesperson stated in the recent wave of hatred against the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan, there are demands to kill Ahmadis. He also said the Ahmadiyya Community appeals to the authorities to take appropriate action. Otherwise, this hatred could result in damage beyond repair.

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The spokesperson asked the authorities to take immediate action in this regard. He demanded authorities to prosecute the culprits for this terrible act following the law. He also urged the Pakistani government officials to implement a strategy to put an end to such atrocities.

Tahir Iqbal Cheema has served as the local president of the Ahmadiyya Community. He leaves behind his wife and three children. His eldest son is a married man and lives in Europe.

His youngest son has a heart problem and stays with his parents. However, his married daughter lives in the United Kingdom with her family.