Lahore, Pakistan - Religious hardliners have launched a fresh tirade against Pakistan's Ahmedi sect, just days after a terrorist attack on mosques of the religious minority left 95 people dead and over 100 injured.
Leaders of the Tahfuz-e-Namoos Risalat Mahaz demanded that the government should take "strict action" against Ahmedi community director Mirza Ghulam Ahmad for committing "blasphemy" by saying that with a stroke of a pen the community had been declared non-Muslims.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, TNRM leaders Allama Razai Mustafa, Allama Abdus Star Saeedi, Qazi Muzafar Iqbal, Qari Zawar Buhadar, Allama Gul Muhammad Aqiqi, Allama Khadim Hussain and Ashraf Jilali did not condemn Friday's attacks on the Ahmedi mosques.
Instead, they demanded that the Ahmedi leaders should be penalised for statements they had issued after the carnage.
Jilali claimed the feelings of Pakistani Muslims were hurt by such statements.
"Qaidianis (Ahmedis) are non-Muslims.