Three members of the Ahmadiyya community were injured on Sunday, 7 June after an unidentified assailant opened fire outside Al Aqsa, a central place of worship for the community, in Chenab Nagar, Punjab province, Pakistan. The attack, which targeted security volunteers on duty, has renewed alarm over the safety of Ahmadis in the region.

How the Attack Unfolded

According to the first information report (FIR) registered by Chenab Nagar police, three volunteers were performing security duty outside the Al Aqsa worship place when a young man arrived on a motorcycle, opened fire at close range, and fled the scene. All three injured men were rushed to hospital for treatment. One of the three was reported to be in critical condition.

Al Aqsa is described as one of the largest and most significant places of worship for the global Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

Community Response and Pattern of Attacks

Ahmadiyya Community spokesperson Amir Mahmood condemned the attack, stating that this was the second such incident targeting Ahmadis in Chenab Nagar within the past few months. He said the recurring nature of the violence has deepened security concerns among community members.

This comes amid a broader, documented pattern of escalating violence and institutional discrimination against Ahmadis across Punjab — a pattern that rights groups say intensifies around major religious occasions.

Amnesty International's Warning to Punjab Government

In May 2026, Amnesty International wrote to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, expressing grave concern over what it described as structural and persistent discrimination, harassment, and violence against the Ahmadiyya community in the province. The rights body specifically flagged that violations routinely escalate in the lead-up to and during major religious events such as Eid al-Adha.

Amnesty International documented that during Eid ul-Fitr on 21 March 2026, Ahmadi congregations were explicitly prohibited in Gujranwala; police intervened at six locations in Sialkot to halt all worship activities; worshippers were reportedly removed from a place of worship during prayers in Faisalabad; and multiple places of worship were sealed in Sargodha.

'These incidents reflect a recurring pattern that amounts to unlawful interference with the right to freedom of religion and belief,' the rights body stated.

Demands for Accountability

Amnesty International urged the Punjab government to take immediate, preemptive measures to protect Ahmadi rights — including ensuring that police and local administration officials refrain from interfering with Ahmadi religious practice, ending arbitrary arrests and detentions, and preventing raids, attacks, and sealing of homes and places of worship.

The organisation further called for an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into past incidents of violence and discrimination against Ahmadis during Eid celebrations, and for the establishment of an effective reporting and accountability mechanism ahead of Eid ul-Adha. With a second attack in Chenab Nagar in as many months, pressure on the provincial government to act is likely to intensify.