Pakistan’s police in Lahore have apprehended the deputy chief of a radical Islamist party for allegedly orchestrating the assassination of the chief justice due to his purported backing of the Ahmadi community, according to officials. Zaheerul Hassan Shah was taken into custody following the circulation of a video on social media where he vowed to reward anyone who beheads Chief Justice Qazi Faez Esa with 10 million rupees. Chief Justice Esa has faced backlash from extremists in Pakistan for granting bail to a blasphemy suspect who is an Ahmadi member.
The Ahmadi community was designated as non-Muslims by Pakistan’s Parliament in 1974, leading to continuous persecution from Islamic extremists, a move that has been heavily criticized by both local and international human rights organizations. Senior police officer Zaheer Asghar disclosed to the media that Shah was arrested in Okara in the eastern province of Punjab, and charges have been filed against him for issuing threats to kill Esa and inciting violence.
The party led by Shah has been actively involved in violent demonstrations against any modifications to Pakistan’s stringent blasphemy laws, which mandate capital punishment. Just recently, a group of impartial experts supported by the United Nations raised serious concerns regarding the escalating discrimination and violence faced by the Ahmadi minority in Pakistan, urging the authorities to take necessary measures to safeguard their wellbeing.
