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.

Islamabad:

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.

According to the report, 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. 

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

Occupying approximately 1,000 sq meters of land, the old temple was located in Siraj village of Narowal, some 130 kilometres from Lahore.

The Outrage

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.

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.
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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.

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.

Hindu community leader Rattan Lal also condemned the demolition of the ancient temple and requested the government to order its restoration.

“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.

Lal, who is also a Hindu member of the Narowal District Peace Committee and the Pak Dharam Astan Hindu Committee, claimed that local Hindu committee members are “even afraid to visit the site because of the madrassa that continues to operate on its premises.” 

What the Government Said

The government version of the events sharply contradicted that of the protesters. Rana Iftikhar, a senior ETPB official, told the news agency 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.

However, an April 11 report showed the local police were aware of the alleged security concerns surrounding the temple and the possibility of damage to it.

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.