<p>They were expelled from Chenab Public School and Muslim Public School at Dharanwali in Hafizabad.<br /><br />A public meeting held recently in Dharanwali had spread hatred against Ahmadis, Jamaat Ahmadiyya Pakistan spokesman Saleemuddin said.<br /><br />The expulsions came in the aftermath of intolerance that some religious preachers were bent on evoking among local residents, Saleemuddin told 'The Express Tribune' daily.<br /><br />"They went so far as to say that they would never allow for an Ahmadi to be buried in their graveyard, let alone allow an Ahmadi to study in a school with their children," Saleemuddin alleged.<br /><br />Soon after the hate speeches, 10 Ahmadi students and the teacher were expelled from the schools.<br /><br />Khalil Ahmad, whose three daughters were among the expelled students, said: "It is extremely unfortunate that my daughters are being deprived of the most basic and fundamental human right such as education...all because of religious intolerance."<br /><br />He said: "I have no alternative to ensure that their education continues."<br />He questioned why authorities were not implementing Constitutional provisions that ensure equal rights for all.<br /><br />"I've never seen Christians and students belonging to other religions ever having to deal with such restrictions," he said.<br /><br />Muslim Public School principal Yasir Abbas said he had "personally opposed the expulsion on the basis of faith."<br /><br />He said: "This is not my decision... the entire village unanimously pressed me to expel all Ahmadis from the school, or else they would forcibly shut the school down." <br /><br />The Punjab government's initiative allowing people to register for schools online makes it mandatory to disclose their religion, including whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim.<br /><br />"This was never the case previously. It's very simply a calculated move to subject the Ahmadiyya community to discrimination and deprive them of their right to education," Saleemuddin alleged.<br /><br />Ahmadis do not refer to themselves as "non-Muslim," but that does not stop them from being kept away from educational institutions.<br /><br />For the first time ever, authorities have introduced a system whereby religion is displayed on roll number slips.<br /><br />"It's like they're making a conscious effort to mentally torture us," Saleemuddin said.<br />Dozens of members of the Ahmadi sect have been killed in terror attacks in the past two years.</p>
<p>They were expelled from Chenab Public School and Muslim Public School at Dharanwali in Hafizabad.<br /><br />A public meeting held recently in Dharanwali had spread hatred against Ahmadis, Jamaat Ahmadiyya Pakistan spokesman Saleemuddin said.<br /><br />The expulsions came in the aftermath of intolerance that some religious preachers were bent on evoking among local residents, Saleemuddin told 'The Express Tribune' daily.<br /><br />"They went so far as to say that they would never allow for an Ahmadi to be buried in their graveyard, let alone allow an Ahmadi to study in a school with their children," Saleemuddin alleged.<br /><br />Soon after the hate speeches, 10 Ahmadi students and the teacher were expelled from the schools.<br /><br />Khalil Ahmad, whose three daughters were among the expelled students, said: "It is extremely unfortunate that my daughters are being deprived of the most basic and fundamental human right such as education...all because of religious intolerance."<br /><br />He said: "I have no alternative to ensure that their education continues."<br />He questioned why authorities were not implementing Constitutional provisions that ensure equal rights for all.<br /><br />"I've never seen Christians and students belonging to other religions ever having to deal with such restrictions," he said.<br /><br />Muslim Public School principal Yasir Abbas said he had "personally opposed the expulsion on the basis of faith."<br /><br />He said: "This is not my decision... the entire village unanimously pressed me to expel all Ahmadis from the school, or else they would forcibly shut the school down." <br /><br />The Punjab government's initiative allowing people to register for schools online makes it mandatory to disclose their religion, including whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim.<br /><br />"This was never the case previously. It's very simply a calculated move to subject the Ahmadiyya community to discrimination and deprive them of their right to education," Saleemuddin alleged.<br /><br />Ahmadis do not refer to themselves as "non-Muslim," but that does not stop them from being kept away from educational institutions.<br /><br />For the first time ever, authorities have introduced a system whereby religion is displayed on roll number slips.<br /><br />"It's like they're making a conscious effort to mentally torture us," Saleemuddin said.<br />Dozens of members of the Ahmadi sect have been killed in terror attacks in the past two years.</p>