Demolished Without Notice During Lent: Islamabad Authorities Demolish a 12-Year-Old Church

• Islamabad’s Capital Development Authority demolished Emmanuel Gospel Church in sector G8/4
• The congregation had worshipped there for 12 years
• The church had told the authority in writing it planned to repair the roof
• The pastor said no notice or reason was given

Islamabad’s Capital Development Authority (CDA) demolished Emmanuel Gospel Church in Musharraf Colony, sector G8/4, on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, the Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement reported on April 4, 2021.

The CDA, accompanied by police, carried out the demolition at about 8.45am. The congregation had worshipped at the site for 12 years. The land had been donated by Kamran George, the pastor’s older brother. The settlement has 300 to 400 houses, all belonging to poor Christian families, and three other churches nearby.

The building was old, with a weak structure and a leaking roof. The church committee had informed the CDA in writing that it planned to replace the roof and was raising money for the repairs. The pastor said “they were not given any prior notice or any other information about the action” and “they have still not been told why the church had been demolished.” Members could not remove the cross or Bibles before the building came down.

A congregation in an informal settlement lost its building without warning.

Some Jamaican churches in informal communities stand on land donated by members but without formal title or approvals. The Islamabad demolition shows how exposed such churches are when authorities act. Getting title, planning approval and written permission for repairs, even for a small building, gives a congregation some protection.

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