5 policemen injured as mob attacks minority Ahmadi community worship place in Pak's Punjab

Lahore, Jul 14 (PTI) A mob, including members of a radical Islamist party, attacked a minority Ahmadi community worship place in Pakistan's Punjab province, injuring at least five policemen who tried to stop them, police said on Monday.
     The police said they arrested 50 "attackers" and registered an FIR against 140 others in connection with the incident that took place on Sunday in Ralioke village of Sialkot district, about 100 kilometres from Lahore.
     According to the police, the attack took place after a local cleric, in an announcement from a mosque, urged people to gather to demolish the Ahmadi minority community's worship place in the village.
     "As a large number of people, mostly the members of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan party, gathered and started marching towards the Ahmadi worship place, a police party also reached there urging them not to take law into their hands," police officer Mobeen Cheema said.
     He said the mob chanted slogans and attacked the police personnel when told not to attack the minority community's worship place.
     Cheema said five policemen sustained injuries in the attack and were shifted to the hospital for treatment.
     He said the condition of one of the injured persons was critical.
     "The police team was later joined by more personnel who managed to disperse the crowd and arrested 50 people, mostly members of the radical party. About 140 others have been booked under various sections, including those related to blasphemy and terrorism," the official said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)