The International Human Rights Committee (IHRC), a London-based rights organisation, has strongly condemned the treatment of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Pakistan during Eid-ul-Adha 2026, accusing Pakistani authorities of intensifying surveillance, arrests, and restrictions against Ahmadis as they attempted to observe one of Islam's most significant religious festivals.

What the IHRC Documented

The IHRC reported that Pakistani authorities, acting alongside extremist groups across multiple regions, escalated measures specifically aimed at preventing Ahmadis from observing Eid-ul-Adha. The rights body documented multiple incidents in which Ahmadis were detained or arrested for conducting religious activities on private premises.

In a particularly striking development, police in several districts reportedly confiscated animals owned by Ahmadis — actions that began even before the festival commenced. 'These pre-emptive measures demonstrate a systematic campaign aimed at obstructing Ahmadi religious observance and denying community members the ability to practise their faith peacefully,' the IHRC stated.

Coordinated Campaign by Extremist Groups

According to the IHRC, the crackdown did not occur in isolation. It unfolded against the backdrop of what the organisation described as a 'coordinated nationwide campaign' by extremist organisations, bar associations, and anti-Ahmadi pressure groups, who openly called on authorities to prevent Ahmadis from observing the festival.

'In the days leading up to the festival, several legal and bar associations and religious groups issued statements and letters demanding restrictions on Ahmadi religious practices and urging police action against Ahmadis engaged in Eid-related activities,' the IHRC stated. This pattern, critics argue, reflects a broader mobilisation of civil society structures against a religious minority.

Systemic Persecution, Not Isolated Incidents

The IHRC characterised the arrests and legal actions as part of a broader pattern of persecution enabled by Pakistan's discriminatory legal framework, rather than isolated occurrences. The organisation noted that surveillance and monitoring mechanisms were deployed to interfere with private religious observance — a significant escalation beyond restrictions in public spaces.

'The events of Eid-ul-Adha 2026 demonstrate that Ahmadis in Pakistan continue to face a system of discrimination that extends beyond public life and into the privacy of their own homes,' the IHRC stated. 'No individual should face arrest, detention, surveillance, or criminal prosecution simply for observing a religious festival peacefully and within the confines of private property.'

Demands and International Appeals

The IHRC called on the Government of Pakistan to immediately halt the targeting of Ahmadis for peaceful religious practices, release all individuals detained solely for exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief, and withdraw cases arising from Eid-ul-Adha-related activities.

The organisation also appealed to the international community — including the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, the UN Human Rights Council, the European Union, the Commonwealth, and democratic governments worldwide — to raise these incidents with Pakistani authorities and press for meaningful legal reforms to protect Ahmadi rights.

As international scrutiny of Pakistan's treatment of religious minorities intensifies, the IHRC's documentation adds to a growing body of evidence that advocates say demands urgent structural reform.