Thousands of Christians in Islamabad protest eviction orders as rights groups condemn authorities over looming demolitions of slum settlements.
Newsroom (12/03/2026 Gaudium Press) Thousands of Christians in Pakistan’s national capital took to the streets of their crowded slum settlements on March 11, hours after city authorities ordered them to vacate their homes within three days — a move that sparked panic, church-led prayers, and condemnation from rights groups nationwide.
Residents of Rimsha Colony and Akram Masih Gill settlements — home to roughly 25,000 mostly Christian day laborers, domestic workers, and sanitation staff — awoke to a public address from Capital Development Authority (CDA) officials warning them to evacuate by March 13. Videos circulating on social media showed officials using megaphones to urge residents to “move out in three days” and “take away your belongings,” warning there would be “no extra time.”
By the next morning, CDA vehicles withdrew from the area as angry residents surrounded them. Contacted by UCA News, a CDA representative declined to comment on the ordered clearance or its legal basis.
Prayers in the Streets
That same day, hundreds of residents marched through the narrow alleys of Rimsha Colony behind a large wooden cross, chanting psalms and “Hallelujah.” The crowd eventually gathered at the Awami (Public) Church, where pastors led prayers and urged fasting for the safety of families and homes.
“Attendance dropped sharply today,” said Perwaiz Masih Bhatti, a local educator who runs a primary school for underprivileged children. “People are worried about the arrival of demolition squads, and many did not go to work. We are not demanding anything, only our right to live peacefully.”
Church leaders and community organizers appealed for calm as unease grew over the looming demolition. Christian activist Julius Salik of the World Minorities Alliance addressed the marchers, asking them to prepare for “mass arrests” while remaining peaceful. “We shall not combat the government. There will be no protests,” he told residents.
Rights Groups Denounce Eviction Orders
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) voiced strong alarm over the CDA’s actions, calling the eviction effort “both unjust and unlawful.” The commission stressed that a 2015 Supreme Court stay order placed a moratorium on all summary demolitions of informal settlements, following a landmark constitutional petition by the Awami Workers Party after the CDA destroyed Islamabad’s largest slum at the time — an operation that left more than 20,000 working-class people homeless.
According to HRCP, the Christian families now facing eviction were originally resettled in Rimsha Colony and nearby slums in the early 2010s, after mob violence erupted over false blasphemy accusations against 14-year-old Rimsha Masih. Relocation was intended as a safety measure against potential retaliation from neighboring Muslim communities.
“Issuing eviction notices now, despite a Supreme Court stay order, violates both national law and Pakistan’s international human rights obligations,” the HRCP warned in a March 11 statement, urging the prime minister and federal ministers for human rights, interior, and religious affairs to intervene.
Church and Community Push Back
In coordination with rights networks, the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) began engaging politicians and officials to negotiate a halt to the evictions. “With the support of Archbishop Joseph Arshad of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, we can only build pressure,” said Tariq Mehmood Ghouri, diocesan coordinator for the NCJP.
Amid the uncertainty, church leaders encouraged continued prayer and fasting as residents braced for possible police action. “We have nowhere else to go,” one participant said, echoing a sentiment shared widely across the settlements.
The HRCP reiterated that the CDA must suspend all eviction plans until resettlement options are guaranteed under law. For now, Islamabad’s Christian quarters remain tense — their residents caught between faith, fear, and a fight for the very ground beneath their feet.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCA News
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