Pakistani Christians caught up in Monsoon rain - damage to Christian slums compounded by water released from large storage vats from city Mosque.

Pakistani Christians caught up in Monsoon rain

By Shamim Masih

ISLAMABAD: Intermittent rain is causing a minor deluge in most areas of the northern Punjab, KPK and Kashmir. The monsoon rain has broken the recent heat wave and many people are enjoying the cooler climate. However, slum areas of Islamabad are the areas where water has started to accumulate. Islamabad has so far received the highest levels of rainfall calculated around 128 millimetres and Rawalpindi's rainfall is close to 68 millimetres of rainfall.

Masses of water from the slum settlements again this summer, a consequence of the course of drainage waterways.  This has caused lots of destruction in the impoverished areas of the capital. 

Christians who make-up a majority in the slum areas, are facing critical challenges, as they grapple with the loss of house hold items, damaged homes, and often unusable roads.  There is a real lack of food in some areas and little or no shelter, in the most hard hit areas.

In addition, heavy water of Jamma e Hafsa (Lal Masjid) which has been stored in large vats since 2008, has been released to make room for the current rainfall.  The large volumes of water released by the opening of these water sheds compounded the natural monsoon rainfall creating further damage to Christian Properties.

Chief Cleric of Lal masjid Abdul Aziz opened the sheds of the water towards the Christian colony in sector G-7/3, which damaged their houses.  Despite petitions from the Christian community who were in direct line of the flow of the released water.

Floods have damaged a few parts of the country and the Christian communities are complaining that Governmental aid is not arriving in their areas.  They believe that aid agencies and the Government are overlooking them, a complaint that reverberates a reminder of previous years.    

The BPCA have organised a disaster relief fund to help the beleaguered Christian community of Islamabad.

If you would like to donate to our relief work our bank details are as follows:

Sort Code: 20-67-90

Account number: 63468976

Bank: Barclays

Alternatively if you would like to send a one of donation please use the pay-pal facility on the top right hand corner of our blog, or simply send a cheque made payable to the BPCA  to our address;  57 Green Lane, Ilford, Essex, IG1 1XG.

With your support we hope to change the lives of millions of Christians in Pakistan.

Chief Cleric Lal Masjid Maulna Abdul Aziz visiting the slum effected area with Basharat Khokher in G-7/3

Heavy machinery is used to open drainage of Jamma Hifza,

Basharat Khokher explains the loss suffered by Christians in G - 7/3

Travel is very unsafe.

Streets are water-logged due to poor drainage.  In many areas the sewage system has poured into the streets causing major health and safety concerns.

Drains overflow filling the streets with effuse.