Current status of Ordinance XX. [PAK5894]

The situation of Ahmadis reportedly did not change since Benazir Bhutto came to power. [ Anthony Hyman, "No Great Change in Human Rights", Index on Censorship, October 1989, p.24-26.] Faced with the rise of fundamentalism, the new Pakistani retained Ordinance XX, the repeal of which would be a very unpopular measure. [ M. Rahman, "Pakistan: Miffed Minorities", India Today, 31 March 1989, p.160.] During 1989, arrests of Ahmadis were frequent and the public celebration of the 100th anniversary of the sect was prohibited by the government. [ U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1989, (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1990), p.1534; this publication is available at your Regional Documentation Centre.] The police, moreover, initiated a suit against the entire population (almost entirely Ahmadi) of Rabwah in December 1989 for violating Ordinance XX [ Ibid.].