Minorities’ issues: ‘Construction will not be allowed in place of gurdwaras’

PESHAWAR: Auqaf Department Deputy Administrator Asif Khan has said the construction of buildings or plazas will not be allowed in place of mandirs or gurdwaras.

He assured protection to places of worship situated in Kashmir Colony, saying the department had sealed three Hindu temples and a gurdwara as some elements wanted to “politicise the matter”.

While addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Saturday, Asif said the Auqaf department was the custodian of all places of worship for minorities. They had sealed Hindu and Sikh worship places to avoid raising the issue on an international level.



He maintained that since 1947, the residents of Kashmir Colony were living there on temporary basis and had not damaged a single brick of these religious places. He said around 12 families were living there. He added if minorities wanted to reopen these religious sites, the residents would be shifted and duly compensated.

“When I came to know of the issue, I visited the area with Peshawar additional commissioner and sealed the area temporarily to avoid politicising the issue,” he said.

On the occasion, Advocate Moazam Butt said the Auqaf department had assured the protection of temples and gurdwaras. As a result, no one had the right to damage these places. He added an official notification had been issued in this regard and he would produce that notification in the Peshawar High Court on July 4.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2016.