125-year-old Hindu temple demolished in Pakistan for madrassa? Rights groups demand investigation

Over-a-century-old Hindu temple in eastern Punjab province of Pakistan was reportedly razed last month so that its land could be used for the expansion of an adjacent madrassa and now rights advocates have united to call for a probe. A group of local people, minority bodies, and The Pakistan Masiha Millat Party (PMMP) have asked the Shehbaz Sharif government in Islamabad to reconstruct the structure and remove alleged encroachments from its land, according to a report by news agency PTI. The temple was located in Siraj village of Narowal, some 130 kilometres from Lahore.

According to the report, 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. The government, however, claimed that the 100-125-year-old temple collapsed due to torrential rains in the region. 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.

PTI, PMMP chairman Aslam Parvez Sahotra said that he met the Additional Home Secretary of Punjab on August 28 and submitted an application seeking action. Sahotra pointed out that the land adjoining the temple had previously been leased by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) for a madrassa, but the lease was later cancelled after the rent allegedly remained unpaid for several years and the premises were not used for the stated purpose. Referring to a revenue department report, Sahotra claimed that several individuals have illegally occupied the quarters and other parts of the property. He pointed out that in an order dated January 29, the ETPB's deputy administrator in Sialkot cancelled the seminary's lease rights and directed the eviction of illegal occupants and sealing of the property. "This order was not implemented," Sahotra alleged. 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.

Also Read: Pakistanis are eating less. What they are eating instead is even more alarming

Hindu community leader Rattan Lal also condemned the demolition. "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.

Also Read: 'Focus on real issues': Bilawal Bhutto slams Pakistan govt for spreading false stories about his personal life

What the Government Said

However Pakistani government's version varies as Rana Iftikhar, a senior ETPB official, told the news agency PTI that the temple was approximately 100 to 125 years old and collapsed because of torrential rains. "The temple carries no name in our record books. However, it is a very old one... more than 100 to 125 years old," he said. Iftikhar acknowledged that the land adjacent to the temple was leased for setting up a seminary. "However, the temple's land is not given to anyone for lease," he said. He added that senior officials of his department will take a call on the matter of the temple's restoration.