A man belonging to the Ahmadiyya community was stabbed to death by an unidentified man in Chenab Nagar area of district Chiniot on Friday, police said.
The victim's brother lodged a complaint with the Chenab Nagar Police Station and identified a suspect, who has been arrested by law enforcement personnel.
DPO Chiniot district, Asadur Rehman, told Dawn.com that he had constituted an investigation team to probe the matter.
"We are investigating to determine the motive behind the killing," he added.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the eyewitness said that he was returning home with his brother after purchasing groceries at around 7:45am near Lari Adda, Chenab Nagar area on Friday when an unidentified man accosted them and asked whether they belonged to the "Qadiani community".
The complainant said he and his brother told the man they were from the Ahmadiyya community.
"The suspect asked my brother to disassociate himself from the community and took out a dagger from a shopping bag he was carrying and started to attack him," the complainant was quoted as saying in the FIR.
The victim's brother said he overpowered the attacker with the help of two to three onlookers.
The victim was taken to a nearby hospital but he succumbed to his wounds, the FIR said.
The complainant said the entire community was feeling unsafe and scared after the attack.
Meanwhile, Sadr Anjuman Ahmadiyya Pakistan spokesperson Saleemuddin strongly condemned the incident and said "propagators of hate and extremism should be brought under control, and killings in the name of religion must be stopped".
He alleged the suspect was raising religious slogans at the time of the incident.
"The hate campaign against Ahmadis has triggered insecurity among the community members."
The spokesperson said the deceased was an extremely "noble and simple person and he did not have any personal enmity with anyone". He leaves behind a widow and three daughters, he added.
He questioned the government for "not taking action" against "promoters of hate campaign as such elements are well known".
He demanded that elements "spreading religious fanaticism and inciting the public to kill people" should be held accountable.
In May this year, Okara police arrested a suspect allegedly involved in killing a young man belonging to the Ahmadiyya community.
Abdul Salam, 33, a father of three, was on his way back home from the field when a seminary student, Hafiz Ali Raza alias Mulazim Husain, attacked him with a knife. The suspect stabbed Salam several times in the chest and abdomen, injuring him critically.
The victim’s uncle tried to stop the suspect but he managed his escape. Salam died instantly.
