The International Human Rights Committee (IHRC), a UK-based rights organisation, on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, expressed serious concern over a ruling by Pakistan's Federal Constitutional Court that upheld sweeping restrictions on Ahmadi religious literature — including the continued ban and forfeiture of all 23 volumes of 'Rohani Khazayeen', the collected writings of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The IHRC described the judgment as deeply troubling, warning it further tightens constraints on a community whose religious freedoms are already severely curtailed under Pakistan's legal framework.

What the Court Ruling Entails

Pakistan's Federal Constitutional Court upheld existing prohibitions on Ahmadi religious literature, most notably affirming the ban and forfeiture of all 23 volumes of 'Rohani Khazayeen' — foundational texts of the Ahmadiyya faith. The IHRC stressed the judgment cannot be viewed in isolation, situating it within a broader pattern of state-sanctioned discrimination against Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan spanning several decades.

The rights body warned the ruling could have a 'chilling effect,' leaving Ahmadis and their organisations fearful of publishing, distributing, or openly discussing their own religious beliefs.

Decades of Documented Persecution

The IHRC cited international human rights organisations and United Nations mechanisms that have repeatedly raised concerns over violations of Ahmadis' freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan. UN Special Rapporteurs have on multiple occasions flagged serious concerns, including allegations of killings, arbitrary detention, hate speech, attacks on places of worship, and restrictions on fundamental freedoms of religion and expression.

'Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan have for decades faced discriminatory legislation, criminalisation of aspects of religious expression, attacks on places of worship, interference with religious practices, hate campaigns, arrests, desecration of graves and incidents of targeted violence,' the IHRC said in its statement.

What the IHRC Is Demanding

The rights body called on the government of Pakistan to review and withdraw sweeping prohibitions targeting peaceful Ahmadi religious literature — specifically the ban on the 23 volumes of Rohani Khazayeen — and to repeal or amend discriminatory laws that criminalise peaceful manifestations of Ahmadi religious identity.

'This case is not simply about books. It concerns whether a religious community can preserve, read, publish and transmit the foundational writings of its faith without fear of confiscation, prosecution or further State interference,' the IHRC noted.

Call for International Scrutiny

The IHRC further urged the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, and the wider global community to closely examine the implications of this judgment and continue raising concerns over restrictions imposed on Ahmadi religious expression in Pakistan.

The committee underlined that freedom of religion exists precisely to protect individuals and communities whose beliefs differ from those of the majority, and that hostility towards a religious minority must never become justification for restricting that minority's peaceful religious expression.

Broader Context and What Comes Next

The Ahmadiyya community has faced institutionalised legal discrimination in Pakistan since 1974, when a constitutional amendment declared Ahmadis non-Muslims, and again in 1984, when Ordinance XX criminalised core expressions of their faith. This latest court ruling, rights groups argue, deepens that legal architecture rather than dismantling it. International pressure from UN mechanisms and human rights bodies is expected to intensify in the wake of the judgment, with advocates calling for the case to be placed before relevant UN Human Rights Council sessions.