1953 Lahore riots

Lahore riots of 1953

Badshahi Mosque, Lahore
Date1 February 1953 - 14 May 1953
LocationLahore, Pakistan
Result

Decisive military suppression of riots

Belligerents
 Pakistan Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam Majlis-e-Tahaffuz-e-Khatme Nabuwwat
Commanders and leaders
Azam Khan
Rahimuddin Khan		 Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari
Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi
Syed Faiz-ul Hassan Shah
Syed Abuzar Bukhari
Maulana Mazhar Ali Azhar
Master Taj-ud-Din Ansari
Abul Ala Maududi
Abdul Sattar Khan Niazi
Casualties and losses
between 200[1] and 2000 Ahmadis killed[2]
3 Jawans and 1 NCO of Baloch Regiment killed in riots

The Lahore riots of 1953 were a series of violent riots against the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam, an Islamic sect, mainly in the city of Lahore, Pakistan as well as the rest of Punjab, which were eventually quelled by the Pakistan Army who declared three months of martial law.[1] The demonstrations began in February 1953, soon escalating into citywide incidents, including looting, arson and the murder of somewhere between 200[1] and 2000 Ahmadis,[2] while thousands more were left displaced. Unable to contain the increasingly widespread civil disorder, Governor-General Ghulam Muhammad handed over the administration of the city to the army under Lieutenant General Azam Khan, imposing martial law on March 6.

Background and causes

One of the major controversial differences between Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and mainstream Sunni and Shia Muslims is their different interpretations of Khatam an-Nabiyyin. Sunni and Shia Muslims are awaiting the coming of the Mahdi and the Second Coming of Jesus and reject the claims of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad whom Ahmadis believe to be the Promised Messiah and Mahdi. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was a vocal proponent of the Pakistan Movement and were actively engaged with the Muslim league having strong relations with many prominent Muslim Leaguers and were opposed to the Congress backed Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam.[3] After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, Ahmadis prospered and reached many high ranking Government and Military positions in Pakistan, due to an extremely high Literacy rate. They held up stay as an important political force in Pakistan, due to its support for secularism and acted as a counterbalance to Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam.[3] This group was disillusioned and disorganized after 1947 and politically isolated. Even before partition one of its primary targets was the Ahmadiyya movement. However, in 1949, the Majlis-e-Ahrar launched countrywide campaigns and protests resulting in a ban on Majlis-e-Ahrar in 1954.

Demands and culmination

Disturbances began after an ultimatum was delivered to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on 21 January 1953 by a deputation of ulama representing Majlis-i Amal (council of action) constituted by an All-Pakistan Muslim Parties Convention held in Karachi from 16 to 18 January 1953. (Including Tehreek-e-Khatme Nabuwwat — under Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam) The ultimatum stated unless three demands were met:

... Majlis-e-Amal would resort to direct action (rast iqdum).[4]

Disturbances and aftermath

The ultimatum was rejected and disturbances commenced.[4]

On March 6 martial law was declared. Two people were killed by police prior to martial law and casualties "admitted by the military" caused in "quelling the disturbances in Lahore" were eleven killed and 49 wounded.[4]

Marking the military's first foray into civilian politics, the 70-day-long military deployment saw Lahore return to normalcy under Azam Khan's coherent leadership ; the Secretary General of the Awami Muslim League, Maulana Abdul Sattar Khan Niazi, was arrested and sentenced to death, but his sentence was subsequently commuted. The riots also brought unprecedented political consequences; Ghulam Muhammad first dismissed Mian Mumtaz Daultana from the post of Chief Minister of Punjab on March 24, allegedly for manipulating the religious element in anti-Ahmadi violence for political benefits. Next on April 17, using his special powers under the Government of India Act 1935, Ghulam Muhammad dimissed Prime Minister, Khwaja Nazimuddin and the entire federal cabinet. Muhammad Ali Bogra (Pakistan's ambassador to the United States) replaced him. Bogra, who did not know why he was being called back, took the oath as new Prime Minister within hours of Nazimuddin's dismissal.

On 19 June 1953 a Court Of Inquiry was established to look into disturbances, known as the Punjab Disturbances Court Of Inquiry. The inquiry commenced on 1 July and held 117 sittings. The evidence was concluded on 23 January 1954 and arguments in the case lasted to 28 February 1954. Conclusions were formulated and the report issued 10 April 1954.[4]

Timeline

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ali Kadir. "Parliamentary Heretization of Ahmadiyya in Pakistan". In Gladys Ganiel. Religion in Times of Crisis. Brill. p. 139. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 Blood, Peter R. (ed.). Pakistan: A Country Study. Diane Publishing Company. p. 217. Retrieved 30 October 2014. In order to rid the community of what it considered to be deviant behavior, the JI waged a campaign in 1953 against the Qadianis in Pakistan that resulted in some 2,000 deaths, brought on martial law rule in Punjab, ...
  3. 1 2 "Persecution of the Ahmadiyya Community in Pakistan: An Analysis Under International Law and International Relations" (PDF). Harvard Human Rights Journal Vol 16. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2005.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Report of the Court of Inquiry - Introductory". The persecution.org. 10 April 1954. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "07 Mar 1953 - Martial Law After Lahore Riots". nla.gov.au.

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