This is not a rejoinder to the reported outburst of former Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s son-in-law and MNA Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar’s reported outburst of anti-Ahmedi hatred in the National Assembly on October 10. This is an attempt to put some historical facts in this regard for consideration of all, pause and ponder with open minds and hearts.
Both Houses of the Parliament, National Assembly and the Senate, on historical day of September 7, 1974 in pursuance of sentiments and aspirations of the people of Pakistan had passed the Constitution Second Amendment Bill declaring that non-believers in the “absolute and unqualified finality” of the Prophethood of Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) will not be Muslims. The three clause bill was presented by the then Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mr Abdul Abdul Hafiz Pirzada who passed away about couple of years back.
There is no ambiguity or doubt that the Ahmedis were as such declared non-Muslims through appropriate amendment in the 1973 Constitution by the federal government of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
In all fairness, the Ahmedis were declared non-Muslims but certainly and surely they retain their nationality as Pakistanis. Had they been deprived of their nationality also, they would not have been living in Pakistan after being declared so. Without going into any unpleasant debate , it is submitted as a Muslim and a Pakistani that the Ahmedis are not Muslims but like all other minorities Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and others living, residing and breathing within geographical territory of Pakistan all are Pakistanis and therefore free and at liberty to do any business and any government job as per their academic qualifications. The Constitution provides that only a Muslim can become the President of Pakistan and this is the only bar on non-Muslim Ahmedis and other minorities as well. As Pakistanis, members of all minorities including Ahmedis are governed by the laws of the land.
The MNA before lashing out on Ahmedis without apparently having any reason or ground for that should have better first gone through the texts of the oaths which are taken by all including members of the superior judiciary. The august forum of the National Assembly should not have been used by the MNA for giving vent to his personal point of view without first ascertaining the historical facts.
MUHAMMAD ALI
Lahore
