Rights advocates in Pakistan have united to call for a probe into an alleged demolition of an over-a-century-old Hindu temple in eastern Punjab province, which was reportedly razed last month so that its land could be used for the expansion of an adjacent madrassa. A group of local people, minority bodies, and a political party have asked the Shehbaz Sharif government in Islamabad to reconstruct the nearly 125-year-old structure and remove alleged encroachments from its land, according to a report by news agency PTI.
A group of religious zealots — members of a banned far-right Islamic party called Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) — reportedly demolished the temple on August 21 to include its land in an adjacent seminary.
The Pakistan Masiha Millat Party (PMMP), a minority-focused political outfit, has urged the Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif-led Punjab government to take action against those involved in the alleged demolition of the religious structure and ensure its reconstruction. Sahotra called for the temple to be rebuilt in its original form and urged the government to ensure protection of Hindu temples, Sikh gurdwaras, and Christian churches along with their adjoining properties across Punjab. The government, however, claimed that the 100-125-year-old temple collapsed due to torrential rains in the region.
A group of religious zealots — members of a banned far-right Islamic party called Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) — demolished the temple on August 21 to include its land in an adjacent seminary, according to the report. Talking to PTI, PMMP chairman Aslam Parvez Sahotra said he met the Additional Home Secretary of Punjab on August 28 and submitted an application seeking action against the alleged perpetrators and officials accused of failing to protect the temple. a He also alleged that the metal fittings of the temple shikhar (canopy) and other materials, such as bricks, from the demolished structure were subsequently removed from the site.
“The district administration and the ETPB failed to take adequate measures to protect the site or remove the alleged occupants, ultimately allowing the temple to be demolished,” Lal said and asked the government to take action against those found involved in the demolition of the temple.
