Shanti Nagar

Shanti Nagar شانتی نگر
Neighbourhood
District	Karachi East
City	Karachi
Country	Pakistan
Time zone	UTC+5 (PST)

Shanti Nagar (Urdu: شانتی نگر) is a neighborhood in the Karachi East district of Karachi, Pakistan. It is part of the Gulshan Town.

The several ethnic groups living in Shanti Nagar include Kutchi, Muhajirs, Sindhis, Kashmiris, Seraikis, Pakhtuns, Balochis, Memons, Bohras, Ismailis, etc. Over 85% of the population is Muslim. The population of Gulshan Town is estimated to be nearly one million. Shanti Nagar also has Hindu and Christian population. The neighbourhood comprises 12 localities with a population of over 100,000 people.

Shanti Nagar Massacre

The Shanti Nagar violence occurred in February 1997 in Punjab, Pakistan, when a mob of over 30,000 Muslims attacked the Christian-majority town during Ramzan (the Islamic holy month of fasting). The violence was triggered by false accusations that a Christian man had desecrated the Quran.

The mob looted and burned over 785 Christian homes, several churches, and schools, leaving hundreds of families homeless. Reports indicate that at least 10 people were killed in the attacks. Despite prior warnings, local authorities failed to intervene, and law enforcement was accused of negligence. The Pakistani military was eventually deployed to restore order, but the damage was already extensive.

The attacks sparked strong international condemnation from human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which criticized the Pakistani government’s failure to protect minorities. The Vatican also expressed concern, calling for religious tolerance. Western governments urged Pakistan to reform its blasphemy laws, which were seen as enabling such violence. However, despite global outcry, systemic issues of religious persecution in Pakistan remained largely unaddressed.

External linksu

• Karachi Website.
• Gulberg Town.