Hindu families gave an ultimatum to the relevant authorities on Wednesday to complete an inquiry into the demolition of a pre-Partition Hindu temple in Lyari - allegedly by a private contractor - and warning of a staging a protest otherwise.
The site of the temple, located on Fida Hussain Sheikh Road, was sealed on August 17, in the presence of Lyari assistant commissioner Abdul Karim Memon, members of the local Hindu community and area residents, after the news of its demolition circulated in the media.
It was allegedly demolished the previous night by a builder named Muqadar Khan.
Following the outcry over the demolition, the district administration had formed a committee to probe into the matter. The committee was to submit a conclusive report within seven days. However, the inquiry remains incomplete hitherto.
"The site was sealed a month ago and a committee was formed [soon after], yet no progress has been made," Mohan Lal, a Hindu resident of the area, decried. "The findings have not been shared with us," he says, adding that he, as well as other Hindu residents believed that relevant authorities were using delaying tactics to facilitate the private contractor in constructing a residential building at the site.
Lal warned that if the inquiry is not completed soon, they would march to the Chief Minister's House and stage a sit-in there. In this regard, he further elaborated that a community meeting would take place soon, where elders from the Hindu community would decide on the next plan of action.
On the other hand, the private contractor, Khan, maintained that the inquiry was underway and would likely take up to a year to complete.
According to Khan, the coveted site where Hindu residents of the area say a temple was built is in fact private property. Plus, he added, "It was a small temple that I did not demolish. In fact, it was destroyed by the rains."
Khan said he planned to go to court if he was not allowed to resume construction and was not served justice.
"The site has been sealed for a month now and none of my workers can visit it," he complained.
Meanwhile, assistant commissioner Memon attributed the delay in the inquiry's completion to "the prevalent situation in the city," including heavy rains.
He further claimed that no Hindu families had recorded their statements for the probe, which, according to him, was another cause for the delay.
According to Memon, authorities needed to record the statements of at least 18 Hindu families to prepare a "fair report."
The inquiry was underway and authorities were trying to approach all Hindu families that were living in the area, he assured, however, adding that it is hard to locate all the families.
Many had left the area and were living elsewhere, he explained. "But the relevant police have been told to provide assistance in locating them. We want to provide justice to all," he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2020.
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