The Riots of 1953 — Page 34
34 others. In Lahore itself Mohammad Azim of Ganj Moghalpura was also treated in the same fashion and so was Hakim Abdur Rashid from inside Bhati Gate and some other Ahmadis residing in Bharat Nagar also. Abdul Majid of M. Moosa & Sons, Nila Gumbad was also forced to recant and after he had done so a poster under the signatures of the Imam of the local mosque was put up announcing that as he had renounced Ahmadiyyat his property was sancrosanct and should not be looted or destroyed. It may be stated here that an hostile and violent mob made an attack on the shop and houses occupied by the members of the family of M. Moosa and their residences as well as shop and Godown situated in Nila Gumbad were looted and burnt. It was with very great effort that the women-folk and children could be virtually snatched out of this death trap. 44. In connection with the loss of property it may be men- tioned that Sheikh Noor Ahmad Advocate, Members of the fam- ily of M. Moosa and Hafiz Abdul Jalil could give an eye witnesses account of the looting and destruction of their property. The total loss suffered by the members of the Ahmadiyya Community in the shape of destruction of property in Lahore town goes over 12 lacs and a quarter, details of which are given in Appendix ‘F’. 45. The Anjuman have little doubt that the Civil Administra- tion was completely paralysed, and but for the promulgation of Martial Law loot, arson and murder would have been committed on a very much larger scale. 46. One wonders that inspite of the severest persecution to which the Community was being subjected, and the ordeal it was f acing at the time on the 19th of March, 1953, the Punjab Government considered it necessary to serve a notice on the Head of the Ahmadiyya Community under the Public Safety Act not to make any statement with regard to the Ahrar-Ahmadiyya