PERSECUTION OF AHMADI MUSLIMS IN PAKISTAN

On 2026-04-21, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA-2) delivered a floor speech titled "PERSECUTION OF AHMADI MUSLIMS IN PAKISTAN" in the House. The speech addressed the environment and also covered foreign policy, civil rights.

PERSECUTION OF AHMADI MUSLIMS IN PAKISTAN

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 70 (Tuesday, April 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 21, 2026)] [House] [Pages H3004-H3005] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] PERSECUTION OF AHMADI MUSLIMS IN PAKISTAN (Mr. McGovern of Massachusetts was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to a grave injustice unfolding in Pakistan. Last December, an Ahmadi Muslim educator, Mubarak Ahmad Sani, was sentenced to life in prison; not for violence, not for incitement, but for possessing a Koran. Mr. Sani was convicted under Pakistan's blasphemy laws. His sentence is a stark reminder of how these laws stifle the ability of religious minorities to study, to pray, and to express themselves freely. Sadly, Mr. Sani's case is not an anomaly. It reflects a systematic persecution of Ahmadi Muslims who are denied equal citizenship rights in Pakistan. They are prevented from calling themselves Muslims under Pakistan's Constitution, jailed and prosecuted under anti-Ahmadi laws, denied the right to participate freely in elections, and even prevented from burying their dead with dignity. In Pakistan, discrimination has been given the weight of the law. This has emboldened extremists to target the Ahmadi Muslim community. Extremist groups, most notably a far-right Islamist party known as TLP, have engaged in a coordinated campaign of persecution. They vandalize mosques, form intimidating and violent mobs near community events, and even kill worshippers. Incidents such as these are reported with disturbing frequency. Those responsible are very rarely held accountable. On the contrary, local authorities often bow to extremist pressure. They fail to prevent or contain violence. Then, to add insult to injury, they detain the victims of the attacks. This climate of impunity sends a dangerous message: that persecution is permissible and that some lives are less worthy of protection than others. In recent months, the government has taken steps to crack down on the TLP. Ahmadi Muslim communities have been able to breathe a little bit of a sigh of relief, and that is welcome. However, human rights are interrelated and interdependent. The right to religious freedom cannot be guaranteed without also guaranteeing the right to freedom of assembly, to freedom of expression, and to equal protection under the law. That means the Pakistani Government must take serious, sustained steps to address these broader crises. It [[Page H3005]] must reform or repeal laws that criminalize religious identity, ensure accountability for acts of violence, and uphold the rights of all citizens equally regardless of belief. Mr. Speaker, the implications of this injustice are global. When a state legitimizes persecution, it weakens the universal principles of human rights and emboldens similar abuses elsewhere. I urge the U.S. State Department to speak out clearly and forcefully to press the Government of Pakistan to release Mubarak Sani from prison, end its persecution of Ahmadi Muslims, repeal discrimination and discriminatory anti-Ahmadi laws, and uphold its international human rights obligations. I believe when all is said and done, Mr. Speaker, that if the United States of America stands for anything, we need to stand out loud and foursquare for human rights. I hope we will do so in this case. ____________________