The Riots of 1953 — Page 20
20 as reported in the press during this period delivered by the Ulema are attached to this statement as Appendix “B”. The temper of these speeches leaves no room for doubt that the issue which was being forced on the Government was either to exterminate the Ahmadis or to send them in exile or to force them to objure their faith. There can be no manner of doubt that no Government worth the name could concede such demands nor could any civilised Government look with equanimity on activities of this character. But unfortunately this is precisely what the Provincial Government at that time did. A section of the press with a view to inciting the people against Ahmadis had the licence to abuse the Community in the foulest language and to make life extremely unconfortable and difficult for them. It is significant to note in this connection that papers which were edited by non official bodies did not carry on propaganda against the Community at this critical period and it was left mainly to Government sponsored papers or semi-official papers to carry on the pernicious propaganda of maligning the Community. The simple question is that in not interfering with these unlawful activities it could be predicated of the Provincial Government that it did not intend to stop the natural results which such a propaganda was to produce. As already noted the first manifestation on a large scale of these nefarious activates were the much to be regretted incidents at Multan which made the lives of the Ahmadis there extremely miserable and which resulted in the loss of m uch property and the dislocation of their economic life. Yielding to mob clamour against the official who put down the disturbance at Multan the Provincial Government set up a Court of Inquiry. This step made police officials nervous and the Ahrar seized upon that opportunity and taking full advantage of the fear-complex of the police they started lawlessness at Lyallpur. The Ahmadies suffered great loss. The incidents connected with