Maqsood Ahmed, belonging to the minority Ahmadi community, was shot dead by unknown gunmen near Nankana Sahib on Thursday.
According to reports, 45-year-old Ahmed was attacked by unidentified assailants in Dharowal, near Nankana Sahib. He had four young children and retired from the Pakistan Army 10 years ago.
Family members say he was shot around 9pm as he was irrigating his farmland in Chak 33, Dharowal.
Reports state that Ahmed was a dual British-Pakistani citizen and he had returned from Britain six months ago.
Police have lodged an FIR over the murder charges, but no person has been arrested as of yet.
According to the FIR, Maqsood Ahmad was shot several times by four unknown assailants with two bullets hitting him on the head, killing him instantly.
Spokesman Jamaat Ahmadiyya Saleem-ud-Din urged the government to take swift action and arrest the culprits and bring them to justice.
We expect for a swift action by the Government in apprehending these culprits and to make sure that they are held accountable.We hope that the Govt will ensure that in future it will put an end to the violence perpetuated against members of the Ahmadiyya Community. pic.twitter.com/JUCDf5rsAc
— Saleem ud Din (@SaleemudDinAA) September 3, 2021
“We hope that the Govt will ensure that in future it will put an end to the violence perpetrated against members of the Ahmadiyya Community,” the spokesman of Jamat-e-Ahmadiyya said in a tweet.
A Qadiani، Maqsood has been killed by unknown persons in Nankana Shahkot.
Such a crime and act is unacceptable and reprehensible.
Local police and administration have been instructed to arrest the culprits and insha-Allah no negligence will be allowed in this regard.— TahirMahmoodAshrafi حافظ محمد طاهراشرفى (@TahirAshrafi) September 3, 2021
Meanwhile the Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Religious Harmony, Tahir Ashrafi condemned the incident through a tweet but used the term “Qadiani” while referring to the slain person. Ahmadis consider “Qadiani” a derogatory term that is also often used as an anti-Ahmadi slur.