Hindus concerned about attempts at grabbing temple land

Federal Ombudsman had previously authorised ownership of the temple to Hindu residents of the area

RAWALPINDI: The Hindu residents of the area have expressed their dismay over the ongoing efforts by certain elements to grab the land of a historic Hindu temple in Rawalpindi.

Pakistan Hindu-Sikh Social Welfare Council President Jagmohan Kumar Arora told the APP on Wednesday that certain government officials connected with the land mafia were conspiring to hand over the Swami Narayan Temple land to influential people for construction of a commercial plaza.



Arora appealed to the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) chairperson to take notice of the issue.

He feared that this would create interfaith discord and reminded the government of its constitutional obligation to protect the rights of non-Muslim citizens.

Arora demanded that the control of Swami Narayan Temple be handed over to the Hindu residents of the area, stating that the cases filed against the temple in the Lahore High Court had already been withdrawn by the plaintiff.

He said that the government had handed over Swami Narayan to the Hindu citizens in 1949 and that the federal ombudsman in 1999 had also directed the relevant authorities to hand over the temple to the Hindu residents of the area.



Arora maintained that despite clear directives by the ombudsman regarding the temple’s status, it had not been handed over to the Hindu residents of the area. He argued that the issue was sub-judice and the court had also issued stay orders in this regard.

Meanwhile, a meeting of Hindu-Sikh Social Welfare Council vowed to resist the ongoing moves to grab the temple land, saying that they would not allow the desecration of their holy places.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 1^st, 2016.