UN Submission: Pakistan’s Compliance with the Convention Against Torture and the Persecution of the Ahmadiyya Community

On March 2026, CAP Liberté de Conscience (CAP LC), jointly with the International Human Rights Committee (IHRC), submitted a critical report to the United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT) for its 84th session. This document, titled “Review of the State Report of Pakistan,” provides a detailed examination of Pakistan’s compliance with the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The submission contends that state-sponsored religious discrimination against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has evolved into a systematic apparatus of exclusion, bearing the hallmarks of an apartheid-like system. It argues that the legal framework—specifically the Second Amendment to the Constitution (1974) and Ordinance XX (1984)—actively facilitates an environment where torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment (CIDT) occur with impunity.

The communication highlights several egregious cases that illustrate the failure of the State to prevent and prohibit acts of torture. One of the most concerning findings is the custodial death of Dr. Tahir Mahmood, a 71-year-old Ahmadi who died on May 11, 2025. Arrested for offering Friday prayers, Dr. Mahmood was subjected to severe physical suffering. Evidence suggests he was beaten in police custody for refusing to renounce his faith and denied adequate medical care for severe health complications, including oral blisters and weakness. Furthermore, the submission notes judicial complicity in his persecution, as he was physically attacked by extremists in a courtroom during a bail hearing without intervention from law enforcement or the presiding judge. This incident constitutes a clear violation of Articles 1 and 16 of the Convention.

In addition to custodial torture, the document outlines a sustained pattern of mob violence and targeted assassinations carried out with apparent impunity. The submission details the lynching of Mr. Laiq Ahmad Cheema by a mob of approximately 800 individuals in April 2025, an act that underscores a severe breakdown of law enforcement control. Between March 2024 and May 2025, the IHRC documented the targeted killings of several Ahmadi civilians, including community leaders, medical professionals, and farmers. The authors argue that the State’s failure to exercise due diligence to prevent these foreseeable acts of violence, or to prosecute the perpetrators afterwards, amounts to a violation of Pakistan’s obligations under Article 2 of the Convention.

The analysis also extends to the criminalization of religious identity, which the submitting organizations classify as a form of psychological torture and CIDT. The case of Mr. Mubarak Ahmad Sani is cited as a prime example; sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2025 for the “crime” of memorizing the Quran and distributing religious texts, Mr. Sani is being punished for peaceful religious devotion. The submission asserts that imposing life sentences for ordinary religious practice places community members in a state of constant severe psychological duress, violating Article 16. Furthermore, the report documents the systematic desecration of Ahmadiyya graves, noting the direct involvement of police officers and revenue officials in these acts, which inflict severe mental suffering on the community.

This submission builds upon CAP LC and IHRC continued advocacy for religious minorities in Pakistan. It references the concerns previously raised by the NGO during the 142nd Session of the Human Rights Committee, reinforcing the argument that the current legal framework in Pakistan not only restricts freedom of religion but actively endangers the physical safety and dignity of the Ahmadiyya community.