The Ahmaddiya community has claimed that two of its worship places were damaged in different areas of Punjab in late August.

A statement from the community’s spokesperson said that a worship place in Sheikhpura was damaged and minarets destroyed on August 30. The statement said that the act was committed by the police under ‘pressure’ from extremists.

The spokesperson said that another incident took place a day earlier in Shadiwal and Chooknawali, in Gujrat. Once again the community pinned the blame on police for defacing the building.

The statement also said that the police returned a day later and applied black paint on ‘sacred wordings’ on the building and also took away debris.

“This extremism has to be looked into otherwise the image of our beloved Pakistan will be damaged and that might not be repairable,” the community spokesperson said.

“The Honorable Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan Anwaarul Haq kakar mentioned the Ahmadis during his speech in Jaranwala after the unfortunate Jaranwala incident, that the State would protect the rights of vulnerable,” the statement added.

Since August 21, three Ahmadi Worship Places have been damaged by the officials.

Ahmadis have been categorised as a religious minority under an amendment in the Constitution in 1974. An ordinance in 1984 forbade the community from referring to their place of worship as a mosque. The law is extended to mean that minarets, usually associated with Muslim mosques, are not allowed on Ahmadi places of worship.