Islamabad, March 30 (IANS) A leading minority rights group on Monday highlighted that members of the Ahmadi community were once again prevented from offering Eid prayers in several districts of Pakistan's Punjab province -- turning what should have been a "moment of unity" into yet another instance of exclusion.

According to the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), police deployments, administrative barriers, and the looming threat of legal consequences ensured that gatherings were either disrupted or did not take place.

"This repetition is what makes the situation especially troubling. These are not isolated incidents or sudden lapses -- they are part of a consistent, almost predictable reality. Year after year, Ahmadis face the same restrictions, the same pressures, and the same message: that their participation in public religious life is not permitted," the VOPM stated.

"The roots of this pattern lie in Pakistan's legal framework, which formally restricts Ahmadi religious practices. Over time, these laws have shaped not only policy but also public attitudes, normalising discrimination and enabling local authorities to act against the community with little resistance. What is enforced on paper translates into lived experiences of fear and marginalisation," it added.

The rights body raised alarm over the role of Pakistani authorities in sustaining this cycle, noting that while law enforcement agencies are meant to ensure safety and protect rights, they often become "instruments of restriction".

The repeated intervention of Pakistani authorities in "peaceful acts of worship", it said, reinforces exclusion and raises serious concerns about accountability and the rule of law.

"For the Ahmadi community, the impact goes far beyond missing a single prayer. Eid is a deeply meaningful occasion -- one that symbolises belonging, faith, and togetherness. Being denied the right to celebrate it openly, year after year, deepens a sense of isolation. It turns a moment of joy into a reminder of inequality," the VOPM stated.

What makes this pattern even more striking is, according to the report, the contradiction with narratives of Pakistan, which has repeatedly pledged to uphold religious freedom and counter extremism.

"Yet, the annual restrictions on Ahmadis tell a different story -- one where commitments remain largely unfulfilled on the ground," it added.

Emphasising the entrenched discrimination against the Ahmadi community, the VOPM said, "A society cannot claim to value justice while allowing the same violations to repeat year after year. Until this pattern is broken, the promise of equal rights in Pakistan will remain not just unfulfilled but routinely denied."

--IANS

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