Senate probes Humak Christian graveyard land dispute

Islamabad: A dispute over Christian graveyard land in Humak has come under Senate scrutiny after officials told the Minority Caucus that 1.25 kanals of land reserved for a Christian cemetery had been divided into three plots and allotted during 2006 to 2008.

The matter concerns the Roman Catholic Christian Cooperative Housing Society, Fatima Villa, located at Mouza Humak on GT Road. The society was registered in 1987 and has 769 members. Its housing scheme covers 336.4 kanals and contains 598 plots.

Officials told the committee that 10 kanals had been reserved for a Christian graveyard in the society’s working layout plan. Of this land, 2.5 kanals are being used as a graveyard, while 6.25 kanals remain vacant.

The remaining 1.25 kanals were divided into three plots measuring 10 marlas, 10 marlas and 5 marlas and were allotted by the previous managing committee between 2006 and 2008.

According to officials, possession of the three plots was given at locations different from those shown in the working layout plan. Grey structures and boundary walls were later built on the sites.

The three plots were cancelled on June 28, 2026 under By Law 34, according to the briefing. However, the restoration of the land will be pursued according to law after the conclusion of a civil court case pending in Islamabad.

Officials also informed the committee that an inquiry under Section 43 of the Cooperative Societies Act, 1925 had been started. A special audit covering the period from 2012 to 2025 has also been assigned to identify any irregularities and determine responsibility.

The society has approached revenue authorities for the demarcation and partition of the 6.25 kanal vacant land. After that process, the CDA and Deputy Commissioner Islamabad would be approached for restoration of possession for the Christian graveyard.

The committee, which reviewed the availability and management of burial places for Christian and other minority communities in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, directed the relevant authorities to listen to all parties with complaints and submit a complete report.

The chairman also directed the CDA chairman and concerned Rawalpindi authorities to form a committee to examine and resolve the Humak matter. Affected parties were asked to submit their complaints in writing to the CDA.

The committee was told that most of the society’s property records had been digitized and that the society had been moved to the Computerized Property Transfer System to improve transparency and reduce the risk of record manipulation.

The broader meeting also highlighted pressure on minority burial space in Islamabad. The committee was informed that the old Christian graveyard in Sector H 9/3, covering 3.13 acres, had about 2,000 graves and no space was left. Another Christian graveyard in Sector H 9/2, covering six acres, had about 6,000 graves and was also full.

A Christian graveyard established in September 2017 covers 3.90 acres and has a capacity of about 3,000 graves. The Christian graveyard in Sector H 8/1, established in July 2024 over 9.58 acres, has space for about 9,000 graves. Around 1,120 graves have been used so far.

The committee decided to visit relevant graveyards to examine their condition, remaining space, boundary walls and other facilities before taking further decisions on the issue.

The Humak matter will be taken up again after the inquiry and report are submitted. The committee also said wider issues affecting minority communities would be examined with the Ministry of Human Rights.

The committee stressed that regulatory authorities should ensure that complaints of minority communities are dealt with through legal and administrative channels and that responsibility is fixed where an inquiry establishes any irregularity.