by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
ISLAMABAD (Worthy News) – Christian leaders in Pakistan have expressed alarm over a recent incident in which the burial of a Christian was reportedly interrupted amid a dispute over cemetery land in Islamabad, the capital.
Pastor Imran Amanat, head of Christian advocacy group LEAD Ministries, told Worthy News that personnel from Pakistani property developer Bahria Town, accompanied by Islamabad Police officers, arrived “during funeral rites” at the Roman Catholic Christian Cooperative Housing Society cemetery and stopped the burial.
Christian representatives also alleged that some individuals entered the grave while wearing shoes, which they said violated the sanctity of the burial site and added to the distress of the grieving family.
Despite the disruption, Christians and others present eventually managed to ensure that the deceased was buried at the cemetery, according to LEAD Ministries.
The Christian community has called for an investigation and urged Bahria Town to explain its claim to the land. There was no immediate independently confirmed response from Bahria Town or Islamabad Police to the allegations.
CEMETERY DISPUTE
The incident comes amid a wider dispute over Christian cemetery land in the Islamabad area.
Pakistan’s Senate has also been looking into the dispute over the Christian cemetery in Humak, a suburb of Islamabad. Officials said land had been reserved for Christian burials, but part of it became caught up in a dispute over its use and ownership.
Authorities have launched an investigation, with lawmakers calling for the cemetery dispute to be resolved and the land protected.
Amanat said the incident raised wider concerns about the treatment of Christians in Muslim-majority Pakistan and their right to bury loved ones according to their faith and traditions.
LEAD Ministries urged authorities to resolve cemetery disputes peacefully and ensure that grieving Christian families can hold funerals and burials without interference.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
