Three booked over worship place issue.

Byline: Majeed Gill

BAHAWALPUR -- Three people were booked over the matter of an Ahmadi worship place issue at Chak 161-Murad, about 20km from Hasilpur.

Two of them belong to the Ahmadi community while one is from the local Muslim community. The former were booked on charge of putting up resistance to the anti-encroachment operation, led by Assistant Commissioner Chaudhry Muhammad Tayyab, at the worship place while the latter was booked for displaying banners against the Ahmadi community.

On Oct 25, Jammat Ahmadiyya Pakistan spokesperson Saleemuddin, had said in a tweet, 'Today the assistant commissioner of Hasilpur along with Baldia workers attacked the 70 year old Ahmadi place of worship in 161 Murad District Bahawalpur and destroyed parts of the building without notice.'

However talking to Dawn on Sunday, AC Tayyab termed the action anti-encroachment operation launched on order of the district peace committee, led by Deputy Commissioner Shozeb Saeed.

He told the scribe by the phone that the Ahmadis had constructed their worship place some time back but its 'Mehrab' had allegedly encroached upon the government land and the local Muslims were agitating against them.

Mr Tayyab said the villagers had demanded demolition of the 'unlawful Mehrab' of the worship place. Some associations also got involved, ceating a law and order situation. Some of the people had displayed banners against the Ahmadis and one of them had been booked. Two members of the Ahmadi community had resisted against the operation and a case had also been registered against them by the Hasilpur police.

AC Tayyab said issue was taken up by the district peace committee, chaired by Deputy Commissioner Shozeb Saeed, two months back and the committee had decided that the matter should be settled amicably. He added the Ahmadis were asked to...