Kabul, March 11. Pakistan has experienced a sharp rise in Sunni radicalization across the country under the leadership of Army Chief Asim Munir, resulting in escalating violence against religious minorities such as Ahmadis and Shias, without any recourse to justice, a report details.
"Pakistan's two largest Muslim minorities, the Shia (particularly Hazara Shia) and Ahmadis, have endured an unprecedented surge in violence and killings in the last couple of years. In November 2024 alone, over 40 Shia pilgrims were slaughtered in a single convoy ambush in the Kurram District. Across Punjab and Sindh, mobs of hardline extremists have stormed Ahmadi prayer halls and beaten worshippers to death," the Afghan Diaspora Network report mentioned.
"Human rights monitors warn that this is not a random crime, but a full-fledged sectarian attack. Earlier this month, the Islamic State of Pakistan conducted a suicide attack on a famous Shia mosque in the capital, Islamabad, which resulted in 32 casualties. The core cadre of IS-Pakistan comes from anti-Shia Sunni groups such as the outlawed Sipaha-e-Sahaba (SSP) and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LeJ)," it added.
Citing analysts, the report suggests that these radical Sunni groups are likely responsible for the attack, with their activities becoming more visible recently. Notably, a large gathering of the LeJ was reportedly underway near the Shia Mosque, which was attacked on February 6.
Amnesty International highlighted that Pakistani "authorities have failed to protect the Hazara Shia community" from repeated threats and attacks.
"Provincial governments issue rhetorical condemnations, but there is no effective protection. As a result, Shia imambargahs and gatherings across Pakistan remain vulnerable, as militant clerics incite Sunni mobs," the report noted.
According to the report, Ahmadis, officially declared non-Muslim under Pakistan's constitution, face equally brutal attacks from radical Sunni groups.
"Since early 2025, mobs loyal to extremist blasphemy-enforcing parties have openly hunted them. On April 18, 2025, a mob of 100-200 Islamist demonstrators stormed an Ahmadi prayer hall in Karachi, dragged out a 47-year-old man, and beat him to death with bricks and sticks. Two months earlier, a 46-year-old Ahmadi businessman was lynched by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) hardliners outside an Ahmadi hall in the Saddar district of Karachi," it mentioned.
"In another chilling case, a prominent Ahmadi doctor, Sheikh Mahmood, was gunned down at his hospital workplace in Sargodha on May 16, 2025. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) notes that these were the third and fourth targeted Ahmadi murders in a single month – part of a 'distressing trend of targeted violence against Ahmadis'," it further stated.
Amid the widespread violence, the report says, the international community should have pressed Pakistan's military leadership for accountability, given that the civilian government is weak and powerless to protect Ahmadis and Shias.
"Yet, to date, there has been no solution to the problem, as religious minorities continue to face repressive tactics from the majority. The blood of innocent people, who have been lynched or shot simply for their faith, continues to stain Pakistan's conscience," it noted.