Islamabad – Rimsha Colony, H-9/2
Audio Stories
Shahzad Masih
Riaz Masih
Fauzia
Bilqis
Photo Stories
With 1300-1400 housing units accommodating 2700-3000 households or families, Rimsha Colony is a slum area situated in H-9/2. It can be accessed via a service road near Kirthar Road. This colony was established to provide housing for the Christian community, who were displaced from Mehrabadi on August 16, 2012, due to blasphemy accusations.
Rimsha Colony, home to a population of approximately 14,000-16,000, is bordered by two smaller colonies, Akram Gill Colony and Nawaz Sharif Colony. It is named after Rimsha Masih, a 14-year-old girl with Down syndrome from Mehrabadi, G-12 sector, who faced blasphemy accusations in August 2012.
Bilqees, a social activist hailing from Rimsha Colony, is dedicated to advocating for the rights of her fellow residents. Her goal extends to participating in local body elections, where she hopes to represent the challenges faced by the community and implore authorities to grant them the right to lead lives of dignity.
Rimsha Colony in H9/2 faces the looming threat of eviction by the Capital Development Authority. The reason behind this threat is an expansion plan for the service road connecting Kirthar Road with the Colony. If this plan proceeds, it will lead to the further displacement of the already uprooted Christian community from Mehrabadi, who have been seeking refuge in H9/2.
Shehzad Masih serves as a Pastor at a church in Rimsha Colony, but he continues to grapple with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stemming from the events of August 2012 in Mehrabadi. He reflects, "It was nothing short of an apocalypse for us when we were compelled to abandon our homes. It will take me a lifetime to erase the memories of that night spent hiding in a jungle, concealing ourselves and our identities."
Bilqees says that it took the displaced Christian community of Mehrabadi, 7-8 years to put a roof back on their heads here in this jungle of H9/2 and to call it a Rimsha colony. Now when they are adjusting to this new reality of life, they have a threat of eviction.
Bilqees is a resolute woman who refuses to let the atrocities against her and her community be forgotten; she strives to keep those memories alive. She emphasizes that Rimsha Colony in H9/2 was named after Rimsha, who faced blasphemy accusations. However, for their community, Rimsha embodies strength and resilience. Having their settlement bears her name serves as a constant reminder of the daily challenges they must confront in their state of displacement.
Riaz Masih resides in the Rimsha Colony and vividly recounts the initial challenges they faced upon arriving in Sector H9/2. At that time, the area was nothing more than a dense jungle with untamed vegetation and a variety of wildlife, including snakes, scorpions, and mongooses. Riaz reflects on the many years they spent living in tents, exposed to the elements. Despite their displacement from Mehrabadi, the government provided little assistance in their rehabilitation, offering them only this plot of land as a place to rebuild their lives.
Riaz Masih works at a nearby factory, where he earns a monthly salary of PKR 18,000 (USD 60), which is even below the lowest wage set by the Government of Pakistan. Despite his limited income, he has dedicated a small section of his home to a church. Riaz believes that in Rimsha Colony, he enjoys the freedom to practice his religion, a privilege he might not have in a predominantly Muslim neighbourhood.
Rimsha Colony, despite being established by the government, lacks basic facilities. Notably, there is no government school in the settlement, depriving most of the children living here of their right to education. Moreover, the absence of a basic health unit or any other health facilities provided by the government further compounds the challenges faced by this substantial population.
Rimsha Colony grapples with a lack of a proper sewerage system and experiences water shortages. Only a handful of individuals have their own drilled tube wells, and they charge 250 rupees for 10 minutes of water storage.
Rimsha Colony is a Christian slum settlement situated in main Islamabad, specifically in Sector H-9/2, accessible via a service road near Kirthar Road. This settlement comprises 1,400 housing units and houses an estimated 2,700 to 3,000 families, with a population ranging from 14,000 to 16,000 individuals. Many of the residents of this settlement were displaced from Mehrabadi, G-12 sector in Islamabad, due to a blasphemy case involving Rimsha Masih, a minor girl with Down syndrome, in August 2012. Rimsha was arrested on August 16, 2012, and was subsequently cleared of charges on November 20, 2012, after securing bail for $10,500 (£6,200). The case generated strong reactions from the Muslim community, resulting in threats against Rimsha and her family. In June 2013, they were forced to relocate to Canada due to ongoing threats. It is important to note that the case against Rimsha was later proven to be false, with the individual responsible, Khalid Chishti, a Muslim cleric, admitting to planting pages of the Quran among burnt pages in the girl's bag.
In response to death threats and the hostile environment in Mehrabadi, hundreds of Christian families swiftly relocated to save their lives, leaving behind homes that were subsequently burned and looted. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) allocated a plot of land in Islamabad's H-9/2 area to provide these families with a place to rebuild their lives, which became Rimsha Colony. Initially, the land was undeveloped, and residents had to clear the bushes and construct huts, which have since been converted into houses. While they were promised food and shelter by the government, these assurances were never fulfilled, leaving their future uncertain.
The community residing in Rimsha Colony faces a myriad of challenges, including workplace discrimination and frequent encounters with Pakistan's blasphemy laws, which are sometimes misused to settle minor disputes. The Rimsha Masih case serves as a notable example, causing deep trauma and anguish within the Christian community when such incidents occur.
Access to necessities, such as electricity, sewage systems, and clean water, poses a significant challenge for residents. The settlement remains unconnected to the electric and sewage grids, compelling residents to either purchase drinking water or fetch it from distant sources. This lack of access to clean water has resulted in health problems, particularly among children and pregnant women. To compensate for these services, many residents rely on solar panels for electricity, use LPG for cooking and heating, and hire private contractors for waste disposal.
In terms of employment, a substantial portion of the settlement's male population works as sanitation workers, primarily for the CDA, while the majority of women are employed as domestic workers in nearby sectors. The absence of government schools and basic health facilities in the settlement has led to an increased school dropout rate, especially among girls, who often find themselves working as underage maids. Unfortunately, these girls are vulnerable to various forms of violence and abuse, including the threat of abduction.
An ongoing challenge faced by the community is the threat of eviction and displacement, as they regularly encounter harassment from the CDA. Despite a Supreme Court injunction temporarily preventing eviction, the CDA has sealed three tube wells in the area in an apparent effort to compel residents to leave. Furthermore, the construction of the 10th Avenue on a service road poses a potential risk of displacing up to 1,400 households within the settlement. Despite these formidable challenges, the residents of Rimsha Colony exhibit resilience and continue to advocate for their rights and place within Pakistani society.