E/CN.4/1993/62 page 81 Information concerning Ahmadis It is feared that the amendment to Section 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code concerning the offence of defiling the name of the Prophet Mohammad (Gustakh-e-Rasool) may be particularly prejudicial to Pakistani citizens belonging to the Ahmadi faith who are estimated to number 3 to 4 million. Since reference by Ahmadis to the Prophet Mohammad is considered by orthodox Muslims as blasphemy, the amendment mentioned above would make the death penalty the mandatory punishment for the peaceful exercise of their religious beliefs, although it applies to anyone showing disrespect to the Prophet. Ahmadis were declared a non-Muslim minority by an amendment to the Constitution introduced in 1974. Large-scale agitation against Ahmadis has already led to bloodshed in 1953 and 1974. In 1984, Ordinance XX introduced Sections 298B and 298C into the Pakistan Penal Code which, referring specifically to Ahmadis, prohibited them from calling themselves Muslims and using Muslim practices in worship or in the propagation of their faith. The infringement of these laws was punished with a term of imprisonment of up to three years and the payment of a fine. In 1991, Ordinance XXI which was promulgated on 7 July amended Section 295A of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure to increase the maximum punishment for outraging the religious feelings of any group from 2 years to 10 years of imprisonment. Although the majority of Ahmadis who were charged and convicted under the Sections 298B and C and 295A were released on bail, they have sometimes had to wait for periods extending from several months to several years before being brought to trial. Ahmadis are reportedly accused of committing the following offences when they are prosecuted under Section 298C of the Pakistan Penal Code: offering daily prayers, the use of Kalima Tayyaba, Azan, preaching, using Muslim epithets and verses and ’posing as Muslims’. Ahmadis are alleged to have been charged of ’posing as Muslims’ also under Section 295C which now carries the death penalty. Some of the following acts are alleged to be considered as ’posing’ if carried out by Ahmadis: - Using the greeting ’Asslam-o-Alaikum’; - Writing ’Assalam-o-Alaikum’ and ’Inshallah’ on invitation cards for inaugural ceremonies or the opening of a shop; - Writing ’Bismillah’ on wedding invitation cards or on the face of a shop; - Displaying a verse from the Koran on a neon sign or a calendar with Koranic verses; - Reciting the Koran out loud; - Offering ’Janaza’ prayers; - Writing ’Kalima’ on a tombstone.