Lahore, Jul 10 (PTI) Pakistani police on Sunday arrested three members of the minority Ahmadi community for slaughtering animals at their home in Punjab province on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha despite a law that prevents them from observing any Islamic rituals.

According to a Pakistani Constitutional amendment in 1974 Ahmadis were declared to be non-Muslims and Section 298 C of the Pakistan Penal Code prevents the community from observing any Islamic rituals.

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Police said that according to the FIR, the complainant saw five people, all belonging to the Ahmadi community, slaughtering a goat and a cow at their house in Faisalabad to observe Eid on Sunday, a festival meant for the Muslims and not for Ahmadis.

He said that the five Ahmadis have hurt the sentiments of the Muslims by observing Eid-ul-Azha and slaughtering animals on the occasion.

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"Acting swiftly on the complaint, we have arrested three of the five nominated suspects in the FIR," Tasawar Ramzan, a senior police officer, told PTI.

He said the Ahmadis have been booked and arrested for observing Muslims festivals.

"The Ahmadis under law can neither pose themselves as Muslims nor observe their festivals," he said and added raids are underway to arrest the remaining suspects.

Jamaat Ahmadiya Pakistan has strongly condemned the FIR and the arrest.

"Under the law and in the light of Supreme Court judgement, Ahmadis or any other minority community member cannot be stopped from observing the rituals of their faith at their houses," Amir Mahmood, Jamaat Ahmadiya Pakistan Punjab spokesperson, told PTI.

Minorities, especially Ahmadis, are very vulnerable in Pakistan and they are often targeted by religious extremists.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)