Kabul, March 11 (NationPress) Under the command of Army Chief Asim Munir, Pakistan is experiencing a significant increase in Sunni radicalization, leading to a troubling rise in violence against religious minorities such as Ahmadis and Shias, as highlighted in a recent report.

According to the Afghan Diaspora Network, the Shia community, particularly the Hazara Shia, and Ahmadis have faced an alarming escalation of violence and lynchings over the past few years. In just November 2024, more than 40 Shia pilgrims were brutally murdered in a single convoy attack in Kurram District. Throughout Punjab and Sindh, extremist mobs have attacked Ahmadi prayer spaces, resulting in the deaths of worshippers.

Human rights observers caution that these incidents are part of a coordinated sectarian assault. Earlier this month, a suicide bombing by the Islamic State of Pakistan targeted a well-known Shia mosque in Islamabad, claiming 32 lives. The core group of IS-Pakistan comprises members from anti-Shia Sunni organizations such as the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba (SSP) and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LeJ), among others.

Analysts suggest that these radical Sunni groups likely orchestrated the mosque attack, as their presence has become increasingly pronounced. Reports indicate that a significant assembly of the LeJ was taking place near the Shia mosque prior to the attack on February 6.

Amnesty International has pointed out that Pakistani authorities have notably failed to safeguard the Hazara Shia community from ongoing threats and violence.

Provincial governments may issue verbal condemnations, but a tangible protective framework is sorely lacking. Consequently, Shia imambargahs and gatherings throughout Pakistan remain at risk as militant clerics incite Sunni mobs.

Furthermore, Ahmadis, who are officially designated as non-Muslims by Pakistan's constitution, are subject to similar brutal assaults from radical Sunni factions.

Since the beginning of 2025, extremist groups enforcing blasphemy have openly targeted Ahmadis. On April 18, 2025, an Islamist mob of 100-200 attacked an Ahmadi prayer hall in Karachi, dragging out a 47-year-old man and beating him to death with bricks and sticks. Just two months prior, a 46-year-old Ahmadi businessman was lynched by hardliners from Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) outside a prayer hall in Karachi's Saddar district.

In another distressing incident, a prominent Ahmadi physician, Sheikh Mahmood, was shot dead at his work in Sargodha on May 16, 2025. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has reported that these incidents represent the third and fourth targeted murders of Ahmadis within a single month, indicating a worrying trend of violence.

The report emphasizes the need for the international community to hold Pakistan's military leadership accountable, especially given the civilian government's inability to protect Ahmadis and Shias.

Despite ongoing violence, no effective solutions have emerged, leaving religious minorities vulnerable to oppressive measures from the majority. The blood of innocents, killed simply for their beliefs, continues to tarnish Pakistan’s moral fabric.