September 29, 2008	Monday	Ramazan 28, 1429

RAWALPINDI, Sept 28: Members of the Christian community on Sunday defied the directives of the district administration Rawalpindi and went ahead with its plan to construct a controversial church near Rawal Lake, raising slogans against the government for not giving liberty to the minorities.

Though the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) had deployed its staff at the lake side to prevent the community members from offering Sunday prayers; the situation got out of control when hundreds of enraged Christians, some equipped with arms, sneaked through the security barrier.

The Christian community members backed by Hector Aleem, the head of an NGO - Peace Worldwide - have occupied some 150 kanals near the Rawal Lake along Park Road for construction of the church without following legal procedures.

The Capital Development Authority had recently launched a crackdown on the ‘illegal’ construction of the church while Wasa claims ownership of the land and plans to extend the Rawal Lake filtration plant on site.

On Sunday, hundreds of Christians gathered at the spot and offered prayers besides chanting anti-CDA and anti-Wasa slogans. They called upon the international community to support the construction of the church and punish the government officials involved in demolishing the religious place.

The staff of Wasa on the occasion remained peaceful and silent over the illegal occupation of the land.

The protesters were chanting slogans like ‘Go ahead Hector Aleem, the Christians are with you’, ‘O Christians, be united against the common enemy’ and ‘We would build the church at all costs.

Officials of the CDA, Wasa, Islamabad capital territory administration and the Christian community will hold talks to resolve the dispute on Monday.

However, a source said the talks would remain meaningless as the minorities were not prepared to accept any decision against the construction of the church, adding the land was reserved for the extension of the much-needed Rawal Lake filtration plant and that there was no room for any extra construction activity.

Wasa has been accusing heads of some international NGOs of supporting the Christians for their illegal demand and exploiting the minorities by the making the issue a religious one.

According to Christian community, there existed a church at Rawa Lake some 30 years back which was demolished by the CDA, a claim neither endorsed by the CDA nor Wasa.