Madni Masjid, Islamabad

The Madni Masjid is an undeconstructed mosque located near Rawal Dam Chowk along Murree Road in Islamabad. It became the focal point of a broader conversation on urban development, religious heritage, and community sentiment.

Demolition & Protests

• In a late-night operation on August 9–10, 2025, the Capital Development Authority (CDA), citing that both the mosque and its adjoining madrassa were built without formal approval on a designated greenbelt, demolished the mosque and seminary.
• Religious groups, notably Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), alongside representatives of Wafaq-ul-Madaris, condemned the move. Protests quickly followed at the demolition site, where clerics and seminary students offered Jumma prayers and began constructing makeshift prayer spaces in defiance of authorities.
• Political voices were raised too—JUI-F’s Naeema Kishwar tabled a resolution in the National Assembly, and leaders warned of legal action under blasphemy provisions if an FIR was not lodged.

Negotiations & Reconstruction Agreement

• Following mounting tensions, negotiations between the Islamabad administration and religious representatives were held, involving Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and figures such as Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Mufti Owais Aziz.
• The outcome of these talks was an agreement to reconstruct Madni Masjid at the original site within four months, with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) overseeing the project. A temporary structure (tent) was erected at the site to facilitate the five daily congregational prayers during the interim period.
• The agreement also included commitments to consult religious stakeholders before making future decisions affecting Islamabad’s mosques and dismissed rumors of plans to demolish 50 other mosques as false.