Authorities in Pakistanʼs Punjab province have taken control of a century-old church-run hostel in Lahore for what they describe as restoration work, but Christian leaders warn the move could result in the church losing ownership of the property permanently.

The Punjab Board of Revenue seized Ewing Hall, a British-era building constructed in 1916 and long associated with Forman Christian College University (FCCU), prompting widespread condemnation from alumni, church leaders, and minority rights advocates.

Jonathan Addleton, rector of FCCU, described the action as a “forcible takeover” in a video statement posted on the universityʼs Facebook page on June 12.

Standing with staff members outside the locked gates of the hostel in Lahoreʼs historic Anarkali Bazaar, Addleton said Ewing Hall had been part of the Forman campus for more than a century.

“The initial lease was signed in 1915 and subsequently renewed multiple times, most recently to extend it well into the 2040s,” he said, adding that university officials were given only 24 hours by telephone to remove movable property, including generators, furniture, and historical artifacts, a task he called impossible.

Addleton urged the government to return the property and called for consultations with stakeholders, including Pakistanʼs minority communities, “for whom Forman means so much.”

The video attracted more than 233,000 views within days.

The government, however, offered a sharply different account.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari, speaking to Dawn on June 14, said the lease for Ewing Hall had expired and had not been renewed for several years.

She said the property was reclaimed as part of the Lahore Heritage Area Revival Project, which aims to restore historic buildings in the provincial capital, and alleged that the lessee had failed to clear outstanding lease payments dating back to 1975.

Documents shared by the government show alleged outstanding lease liabilities totaling 107.79 million rupees (about $387,000): 29.19 million rupees (about $105,000) accrued between 1975 and 2018, and a further 78.59 million rupees (about $282,000) calculated for the period from 2018 to 2026.

The records also contend that the land was leased exclusively for educational purposes but had not been used as such since 2015.

Reuben Qamar, a pastor at the Presbyterian Church on the FCCU campus, said the college had refused to pay the lease during three decades of nationalization when the building was under government possession.

“We were in the midst of negotiations with the officials to reduce the lease amount when the takeover took place,” he told EWTN News.

Qamar remained doubtful about the propertyʼs return.

“Basically, it is a property dispute. The building was still being used for educational purposes. We are not sure whether it will be handed back to us,” he said.

He noted the 6,070-square-meter site had been vacated in 2018 after cracks appeared in the structure and the COVID-19 pandemic that followed. A professional firm had only recently completed a safety assessment.

Founded in 1864 by American Presbyterian missionaries, FCCU is Pakistanʼs only church-run chartered university. It was nationalized in 1972 under former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto before being returned to Presbyterian Church management in 2003.

Qamar warned the seizure sent a troubling message to minority institutions across the country.

“The governmentʼs priority appears to be monetary interests rather than education, despite Formanʼs role in producing generations of national leaders,” he said, adding that the move reeked of bad intention.

Nasir William, convener of Minority Forum Pakistan, called the seizure a violation of minority rights and demanded a transparent and impartial investigation.

“Such actions not only violate constitutional and legal principles but are deeply concerning for the protection, dignity, and equal citizenship of minorities in Pakistan,” he said.

The case has renewed attention on the broader issue of nationalized church properties.

According to the Lahore-based Centre for Social Justice, 118 church-owned educational institutions remained under provincial government control as of June 2020.

William noted that despite past discussions about returning some of those properties, including Rang Mahal School, described as the first English-medium institution in northern India, “nothing materialized.”

The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also weighed in on June 13, describing Ewing Hall as a building of “historical, educational, and cultural significance.”

It warned that the reported eviction deadline raised “serious questions about transparency, due process, and the stewardship of shared heritage,” and urged authorities to protect the buildingʼs physical integrity.