Religious harmony: K-P starts reconstruction of Hindu temple, SC told

Work begins after agreement is reached on five conditions

ISLAMABAD:

Complying with the Supreme Court’s order, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has started reconstructing a Hindu temple in Karak, the apex court was told on Tuesday.

On April 16, the top court had directed the K-P government to ensure restoration and reconstruction of the temple and submit a relevant report in two weeks.

Submitting a report on behalf of Karak’s deputy commissioner, K-P Additional Advocate General Waqar Ahmad Khan told the court on Tuesday that a long-standing dispute on rebuilding the Samadhi (shrine) of Hindu saint Shri Paramhans Ji Maharaj in Karak’s Teri town had finally been resolved.



The report said that to keep harmony between the two religious communities of the area, reconstruction has started on five conditions agreed upon by both the communities during different meetings.

1. The Hindu community will not preach their religion.

2. They will only be allowed to offer their prayers.

3. They will not be allowed to arrange huge religious gatherings at the Samadhi.

4. They will not be allowed to construct any large-scale prayer place on the site.

5. They will not be allowed to purchase any further land in the areas and will be restricted to the premises of the Samadhi.

Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC) patron-in-chief Ramesh Kumar Vankwani expressed satisfaction on the report. He termed it ‘victory of good over evil’.

“Attacks against minorities, which result in social unrest, insecurity, violence and frustration, remain the key internal threats Pakistan is facing today.”

He hoped that the shrine would once again be opened for pilgrims, saying that a PHC delegation would soon visit the site to review the situation.

The shrine was constructed where the Hindu saint had died and was buried in 1919. His followers used to visit the place to pay their respects until 1997, when some Muslim fanatics damaged the temple.

The saint’s followers tried to rebuild the temple on the land allegedly occupied by a mufti, even though the property belonged to the Auqaf department.

Hindu elders from Sindh intervened and paid Rs375,000 as cost of the land to the religious leader in 1997. But despite receiving the money from the then minority MPA Gian Chand, the property was not vacated.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2015.