Bewal Express
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As i said it should not get any govt funding but all facilitations should be made to allow the Hindus to build their mandir.
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Contact the PP Team
Islamabad set to have its first Hindu temple since partition
- Thread starter the eslah
- Start date
As i said it should not get any govt funding but all facilitations should be made to allow the Hindus to build their mandir.
Syed1
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="ur" dir="rtl">سیاسی اختلافات اپنی جگہ ،خواجہ آصف نے کہا پاکستان کے آئین میں تمام مذاہب کوبرابر کی آزادیاں ہیں ان کی یہ بات بالکل درست ہے، اس کو لے کر خواجہ آصف کیخلاف فتویٰ بازی کرنیوالے مودی اور بھارتی شدت پسندوں کی سوچ کے حامل لوگ ہیں ایسی سوچ کو یکسر مسترد کرنے کی ضرورت ہے</p>— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) <a href="https://twitter.com/fawadchaudhry/status/1282339772351098891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Seems PTI and PML-N are on same page on this issue.
"Despite political differences, Khawaja Asif is correct in saying that the Pakistani constitution grants equal freedom to all religions, the people issuing fatwas against Khawaja Asif are no different than the Modi and Indian extremists and we should unanimously reject this ideology."
Seems PTI and PML-N are on same page on this issue.
"Despite political differences, Khawaja Asif is correct in saying that the Pakistani constitution grants equal freedom to all religions, the people issuing fatwas against Khawaja Asif are no different than the Modi and Indian extremists and we should unanimously reject this ideology."
Khawaja Asif roared like a lion in the NA! He sternly supported the construction of Hindu temple in Islamabad. Can any PTI MNA do something like this apart from Fawad Chaudary.
Too bad that Khawaja Asif is currently facing a hate campaign on social media with many accusing him of committing blasphemy. A PTI leader has also filed blasphemy charges against Khawaja Asif!
uberkoen
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What an amazing speech by this guy. Absolutely loved it. I really hope him and his party practice what they preach though. PMLN is almost as right wing as PTI and they have a history of aligning with the mullahs.
Bewal Express
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You do know that he is facing cases and when he is arrested for fraud he will use this speech as the reason that he was arrested. It is the same tactic that all these crooks use when they are they are about get arrested for stealing other peoples money. This is an attempt to get the international media to report this and then when he is arrested, the narrative will be that his arrest is revenge for his "liberal views".
https://www.samaa.tv/news/pakistan/2020/06/khawaja-asif-nab-case-july-3/
"The National Accountability Bureau has summoned PML-N leader Khawaja Asif on July 3 after he failed to appear before the bureau in the Sialkot housing society case on Friday.
He has been directed to bring relevant documents to NAB’s Lahore office.
Asif told the bureau and he can’t appear on Friday because he has to attend a post-budget session in the National Assembly.
NAB has accused Asif of illegally building a private housing project, Kent View Housing Society, in Sialkot. He has been asked to submit details of the funds invested in the project by his family members along with a money trail.
The bureau claimed that the society did not stick to its original layout of 137 kanals and spread over to state land. The plots on public land have been sold to people.
Asif’s wife, Musarrat Ali, and son, Asad Asif, are also being investigated in the case.
Abdullah719
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Construction of temple: IHC reserves verdict in ICA
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday reserved verdict in Intra-Court Appeal (ICA) challenging the government's decision to construct a Hindu temple in the federal capital. A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Ghulam Azam Qambrani heard the ICA filed by a lawyer, Chaudhary Tanveer Akhtar, challenging a single bench's verdict, wherein, it had disposed of the writ petitions filed against construction of temple in Islamabad.
During the hearing, the CJ asked from the counsel whether non-Muslims should leave the country. He added that the Constitution of Pakistan provided protection to the minorities. He also asked that whether you want that the Muslims should also face the same treatment in other countries.
He remarked that you are a Muslim, and therefore, you should have a big heart. In this regard, he also gave the example of New Zealand. The petitioner adopted before the court that the land was given to the temple in an illegal manner. He added that it was not fair to spend money on the construction of the Hindu temple.
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40006767/construction-of-temple-ihc-reserves-verdict-in-ica
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday reserved verdict in Intra-Court Appeal (ICA) challenging the government's decision to construct a Hindu temple in the federal capital. A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Ghulam Azam Qambrani heard the ICA filed by a lawyer, Chaudhary Tanveer Akhtar, challenging a single bench's verdict, wherein, it had disposed of the writ petitions filed against construction of temple in Islamabad.
During the hearing, the CJ asked from the counsel whether non-Muslims should leave the country. He added that the Constitution of Pakistan provided protection to the minorities. He also asked that whether you want that the Muslims should also face the same treatment in other countries.
He remarked that you are a Muslim, and therefore, you should have a big heart. In this regard, he also gave the example of New Zealand. The petitioner adopted before the court that the land was given to the temple in an illegal manner. He added that it was not fair to spend money on the construction of the Hindu temple.
After hearing the arguments, the IHC bench reserved its judgment in this case. The petitioner, Chaudhary Tanveer filed the ICA in person, and cited Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Federal Minister for Interior, chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) and chairman CDA board as respondents.
He had adopted that the state is responsible to provide health, education and justice for public but after this directive on the part of respondents, has raised a lot of questions. He added that the district judiciary in Islamabad is functioning in rented premises since long but the government has failed to provide the facility of judicial complex and public are suffering.
The petitioner had contended that the CDA is a responsible authority, who failed to consider this fact that this impugned allotment, which is a void ab initio document, itself lost its sanctity as per contents of the allotment letter, even then they are not taking action of cancellation of allotment.
Therefore, he had prayed before the court that the impugned judgment of single bench of the IHC dated July 7th may be set aside and all acts done by respondents for allotment of plot for temple in Islamabad against master plan of CDA may be declared as unlawful.
Earlier, a single bench of IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq disposed of three identical petitions filed by lawyer Chaudahry Tanveer Akhtar, Muhammad Yahya Ahmed Minhas and Khushnood Ahmad Khan.
The IHC bench said in its judgment that the representative of Capital Development Authority and learned counsel for Authority submitted that Sub-Sector H-9/2 has plots allocated for graveyard of minorities, hence, on that basis, the allocation was made.
It added, "It seems that the allottee namely IHP (Institute of Hindu Panchayat ) did not adhere to the Rules and Regulations of Capital Development Authority by submitting building plan and seeking its approval and on the said basis the construction of plot was stopped. Even otherwise, the Capital Development Authority is entitled to take appropriate action in accordance with the term of the allotment (Clauses 3 and 24 of Allotment letter dated 26.12.2017) and its laws for violation of the terms of allotment, if any."
He had adopted that the state is responsible to provide health, education and justice for public but after this directive on the part of respondents, has raised a lot of questions. He added that the district judiciary in Islamabad is functioning in rented premises since long but the government has failed to provide the facility of judicial complex and public are suffering.
The petitioner had contended that the CDA is a responsible authority, who failed to consider this fact that this impugned allotment, which is a void ab initio document, itself lost its sanctity as per contents of the allotment letter, even then they are not taking action of cancellation of allotment.
Therefore, he had prayed before the court that the impugned judgment of single bench of the IHC dated July 7th may be set aside and all acts done by respondents for allotment of plot for temple in Islamabad against master plan of CDA may be declared as unlawful.
Earlier, a single bench of IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq disposed of three identical petitions filed by lawyer Chaudahry Tanveer Akhtar, Muhammad Yahya Ahmed Minhas and Khushnood Ahmad Khan.
The IHC bench said in its judgment that the representative of Capital Development Authority and learned counsel for Authority submitted that Sub-Sector H-9/2 has plots allocated for graveyard of minorities, hence, on that basis, the allocation was made.
It added, "It seems that the allottee namely IHP (Institute of Hindu Panchayat ) did not adhere to the Rules and Regulations of Capital Development Authority by submitting building plan and seeking its approval and on the said basis the construction of plot was stopped. Even otherwise, the Capital Development Authority is entitled to take appropriate action in accordance with the term of the allotment (Clauses 3 and 24 of Allotment letter dated 26.12.2017) and its laws for violation of the terms of allotment, if any."
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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has urged the government to immediately start construction of a temple in Islamabad “to give a befitting reply” to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to lay the foundation of a Hindu temple at the site of historic Babri mosque in Ayodhya on Wednesday (today).
The demand was made by PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar as official spokesman for party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in a statement issued by the party’s Media Office here on Tuesday.
“The federal government should take urgent steps to remove all hurdles in the way of the construction of the temple in Islamabad and inaugurate its work on Wednesday (today),” he said.
Mr Khokhar, who is also chairman of the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, said Pakistan should send a message to the world community that the people belonging to all religions enjoyed equal rights in the country.
Says move will be a response to Modi’s act of opening Mandir at Babri mosque’s site
“It is the demand of Jinnah’s Pakistan that the religious rights of all the minorities should be protected in the country,” he added.
Criticising the Indian prime minister’s move to build Raam Temple in Ayodhya, the PPP senator said that by doing so Narendra Modi would “blacken the face of secular India”.
The controversy over the construction of a Hindu temple in Islamabad’s H-9/2 Sector surfaced two months ago when some religious parties and groups objected to the project, saying that the construction of a temple with the taxpayers’ money in an Islamic state was against Islam.
Last month, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had disposed of three identical petitions filed against the construction of the temple, observing that the construction of a place of worship required mandatory approval of the regulator i.e. Capital Development Authority. The IHC also dismissed objections to the allotment of the temple’s plot.
The government allotted the plot measuring 3.89 kanals for the temple in January 2017. The plot was handed over to the Islamabad Hindu Panchayat in 2018.
The issue also came under discussion in the National Assembly and the Senate. Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri told the assembly that the construction on the temple site had been stopped following objections by certain religious scholars and the matter had been referred to the Council of Islamic Ideology to seek its opinion on the matter.
The minister had stated that the issue was not on the construction of the temple, but the question had been raised whether the government could spend money from the national exchequer or not.
The statement by Mr Khokhar was issued on the day when, according to the French news agency AFP, the flashpoint Indian town of Ayodhya geared up for a ceremony to be attended by Prime Minister Modi to lay the foundation of a Hindu temple on the ruins of the mosque that had been destroyed by a mob in 1992. The building of the temple in northern India, starting on Wednesday with a colourful rite, has been a long pledge of the Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Babri Masjid stood on the site for almost 500 years until it was demolished by Hindu zealots in 1992 that sparked riots across the country in which 2,000 people, mainly Muslims, died — some of independent India’s worst sectarian violence.
In November, India’s top court after a legal battle lasting decades had awarded the site to Hindus, giving Muslims another location to build a new mosque.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1572703/ppp-asks-govt-to-start-islamabad-temple-construction
The demand was made by PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar as official spokesman for party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in a statement issued by the party’s Media Office here on Tuesday.
“The federal government should take urgent steps to remove all hurdles in the way of the construction of the temple in Islamabad and inaugurate its work on Wednesday (today),” he said.
Mr Khokhar, who is also chairman of the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, said Pakistan should send a message to the world community that the people belonging to all religions enjoyed equal rights in the country.
Says move will be a response to Modi’s act of opening Mandir at Babri mosque’s site
“It is the demand of Jinnah’s Pakistan that the religious rights of all the minorities should be protected in the country,” he added.
Criticising the Indian prime minister’s move to build Raam Temple in Ayodhya, the PPP senator said that by doing so Narendra Modi would “blacken the face of secular India”.
The controversy over the construction of a Hindu temple in Islamabad’s H-9/2 Sector surfaced two months ago when some religious parties and groups objected to the project, saying that the construction of a temple with the taxpayers’ money in an Islamic state was against Islam.
Last month, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had disposed of three identical petitions filed against the construction of the temple, observing that the construction of a place of worship required mandatory approval of the regulator i.e. Capital Development Authority. The IHC also dismissed objections to the allotment of the temple’s plot.
The government allotted the plot measuring 3.89 kanals for the temple in January 2017. The plot was handed over to the Islamabad Hindu Panchayat in 2018.
The issue also came under discussion in the National Assembly and the Senate. Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri told the assembly that the construction on the temple site had been stopped following objections by certain religious scholars and the matter had been referred to the Council of Islamic Ideology to seek its opinion on the matter.
The minister had stated that the issue was not on the construction of the temple, but the question had been raised whether the government could spend money from the national exchequer or not.
The statement by Mr Khokhar was issued on the day when, according to the French news agency AFP, the flashpoint Indian town of Ayodhya geared up for a ceremony to be attended by Prime Minister Modi to lay the foundation of a Hindu temple on the ruins of the mosque that had been destroyed by a mob in 1992. The building of the temple in northern India, starting on Wednesday with a colourful rite, has been a long pledge of the Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Babri Masjid stood on the site for almost 500 years until it was demolished by Hindu zealots in 1992 that sparked riots across the country in which 2,000 people, mainly Muslims, died — some of independent India’s worst sectarian violence.
In November, India’s top court after a legal battle lasting decades had awarded the site to Hindus, giving Muslims another location to build a new mosque.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1572703/ppp-asks-govt-to-start-islamabad-temple-construction
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ISLAMABAD: Members of Pakistan Hindu Council on Saturday said setting up of a crematorium and temple in the capital should not be politicised as it was an essential requirement of the Hindu community.
Talking to media along with Krishan Sharma, a civil society activist, PTI MNA Lal Chand Malhi said the plot for the crematory and temple was allotted by the PML-N government in 2018 after recognising the needs of the Hindus.
Mr Sharma said there were around 3,000 Hindus living in Islamabad who had shifted mostly from Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to serious law and order situation in their native areas.
“This is not a political or religious issue but a social need for us,” he said, adding: “We are ready to listen to the concerns of the Muslim brothers or organisations that have raised objections against the construction of the temple in H-9.”
He said: “Besides, there has to be a place in the federal capital for ceremonies related to marriages and festivals like Holi and Diwali.”
Mr Sharma said construction of a temple in Islamabad would improve Pakistan’s image around the world, especially when the Modi-led extremist government in India was busy persecuting religious minorities.
PTI MNA Lal Chand Malhi said one of the main objections was that Muslim taxpayers’ money could not be used to build a temple.
“We too are the taxpayers in this country, adding billions of rupees to the national kitty, and the government has not used much of our tax money on building temples in the last 70 years. So a part of that money can be utilised for the construction of the temple,” he said.
He said the second objection the Muslim clerics had raised was that a new temple could not be built in an Islamic state.
“If UAE, an Islamic state, can build a temple, why not Pakistan,” he said, adding that clerics have asked the government to renovate existing places of worship and make them functional.
“If they want six temples renovated in Islamabad city, why are they opposing construction of just one temple,” he said.
He also decried the delay by the CDA in the grant of permission to construct a boundary wall on the plot for the crematorium in H-9.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1580609/temple-in-islamabad-is-our-requirement-says-hindu-council
Talking to media along with Krishan Sharma, a civil society activist, PTI MNA Lal Chand Malhi said the plot for the crematory and temple was allotted by the PML-N government in 2018 after recognising the needs of the Hindus.
Mr Sharma said there were around 3,000 Hindus living in Islamabad who had shifted mostly from Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to serious law and order situation in their native areas.
“This is not a political or religious issue but a social need for us,” he said, adding: “We are ready to listen to the concerns of the Muslim brothers or organisations that have raised objections against the construction of the temple in H-9.”
He said: “Besides, there has to be a place in the federal capital for ceremonies related to marriages and festivals like Holi and Diwali.”
Mr Sharma said construction of a temple in Islamabad would improve Pakistan’s image around the world, especially when the Modi-led extremist government in India was busy persecuting religious minorities.
PTI MNA Lal Chand Malhi said one of the main objections was that Muslim taxpayers’ money could not be used to build a temple.
“We too are the taxpayers in this country, adding billions of rupees to the national kitty, and the government has not used much of our tax money on building temples in the last 70 years. So a part of that money can be utilised for the construction of the temple,” he said.
He said the second objection the Muslim clerics had raised was that a new temple could not be built in an Islamic state.
“If UAE, an Islamic state, can build a temple, why not Pakistan,” he said, adding that clerics have asked the government to renovate existing places of worship and make them functional.
“If they want six temples renovated in Islamabad city, why are they opposing construction of just one temple,” he said.
He also decried the delay by the CDA in the grant of permission to construct a boundary wall on the plot for the crematorium in H-9.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1580609/temple-in-islamabad-is-our-requirement-says-hindu-council
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Gabbar Singh
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Spending taxpayers money on such superstitious nonsense is absurd. Perhaps if you live in a society with the best schools, hospitals, libraries etc and have money to burn then sure the government can fund such projects but Is Pakistan (or any other nation in the region) really in such a position?
Abdullah719
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CII decide on temple issue as per Constitution: Ayaz
Dr Qibla Ayaz, the chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology Council (CII) has said that the decision regarding the construction of the temple in Islamabad will be taken in the context of the Constitution and the international law.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday along with National Minorities Commission (NMC) Chairman Chila Ram Kewalani and Parliamentary Secretary Shunila Ruth, Ayaz said that minorities had full rights in the country. He praised the government’s initiative of the NMC.
Ayaz said that that the matter of the construction of temple in the federal capital had been referred to the research wing of the IIC. “The council will make its recommendations in accordance with the Constitution and the international law,” he added, while responding to a question.
The IIC chairman described the NMC as a good initiative, which “will promote harmony and brotherhood and give minorities their rights”. He added: “We should all play a role in promoting unity in our society. The National Minority Commission is the beauty of Pakistan and it should be highlighted.”
He said that the IIC had also been made an NMC member so that it could legislate on the issues of the minorities. “The National Minorities Commission will bring unity in the country. It will help thwart the enemy designs,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Ruth said that protection of the rights of the minorities was the foremost priority of the present government. “We are ensuring implementation of the 5% quota in jobs for minorities. Similarly, 7% funds were provided to minorities under the Ehsas programme,” she added.
She noted that the minorities have had problems and their issues were being resolved. “For the first time a Hindu community member has been made the chairman of the NMC,” she said. She informed the media that a high-level parliamentary committee on forced conversions had been formed.
Addressing the press conference, Kewalani said that the NMC members visited different cities of the country and listened to the problems of minorities, adding that the prime minister had assured them of resolving their problems. “The government is taking serious action on the issue of forced conversions.”
Responding to a question, NMC chairman Kewalani, said that he would meet the opposition parties next month on the issue of minorities. “Minorities issues are common for both the government and the opposition.
He said that the NMC condemned the killing of Hindus in India. About the building of temple in Islamabad he said that the decision would be taken by the IIC. He also said that scholars of all schools of thought would be consulted for the legislation on forced conversions issue.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2269356/cii-decide-on-temple-issue-as-per-constitution-ayaz
Dr Qibla Ayaz, the chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology Council (CII) has said that the decision regarding the construction of the temple in Islamabad will be taken in the context of the Constitution and the international law.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday along with National Minorities Commission (NMC) Chairman Chila Ram Kewalani and Parliamentary Secretary Shunila Ruth, Ayaz said that minorities had full rights in the country. He praised the government’s initiative of the NMC.
Ayaz said that that the matter of the construction of temple in the federal capital had been referred to the research wing of the IIC. “The council will make its recommendations in accordance with the Constitution and the international law,” he added, while responding to a question.
The IIC chairman described the NMC as a good initiative, which “will promote harmony and brotherhood and give minorities their rights”. He added: “We should all play a role in promoting unity in our society. The National Minority Commission is the beauty of Pakistan and it should be highlighted.”
He said that the IIC had also been made an NMC member so that it could legislate on the issues of the minorities. “The National Minorities Commission will bring unity in the country. It will help thwart the enemy designs,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Ruth said that protection of the rights of the minorities was the foremost priority of the present government. “We are ensuring implementation of the 5% quota in jobs for minorities. Similarly, 7% funds were provided to minorities under the Ehsas programme,” she added.
She noted that the minorities have had problems and their issues were being resolved. “For the first time a Hindu community member has been made the chairman of the NMC,” she said. She informed the media that a high-level parliamentary committee on forced conversions had been formed.
Addressing the press conference, Kewalani said that the NMC members visited different cities of the country and listened to the problems of minorities, adding that the prime minister had assured them of resolving their problems. “The government is taking serious action on the issue of forced conversions.”
Responding to a question, NMC chairman Kewalani, said that he would meet the opposition parties next month on the issue of minorities. “Minorities issues are common for both the government and the opposition.
He said that the NMC condemned the killing of Hindus in India. About the building of temple in Islamabad he said that the decision would be taken by the IIC. He also said that scholars of all schools of thought would be consulted for the legislation on forced conversions issue.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2269356/cii-decide-on-temple-issue-as-per-constitution-ayaz
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The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Wednesday ruled that there were no constitutional or Sharia constraints against constructing a temple in Islamabad or any other place in the country.
The ruling was issued in a council meeting held in Islamabad and chaired by chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz earlier in the day.
The CII also allowed the government to hand over the temple as well as its adjoining Dharamshala (community centre) in Saidpur village of the federal capital to the Hindu community "so it can perform religious services as per their beliefs".
“In view of the current population in Islamabad, the ancient temple and the adjoining Dharamshala at Saidpur village be opened to the Hindus and they should be facilitated to reach there to perform religious services as per their beliefs,” the CII said in a statement.
The decision signed by 14 members of the CII has also stated that the Hindus, like all other religious groups in the country, have the constitutional right to have a place to perform last rites of the deceased according to their faith.
“As per this right, it is permitted for the Hindu community in Islamabad to have a suitable place where they can perform last rites of the deceased according to religious instructions,” the CII said. The body also declared that the Hindu community was allowed to build a community centre to hold wedding ceremonies and observe religious festivals under the Constitution and that there was "nothing wrong with it according to Sharia".
Apart from Islamic considerations, the decision was made on the basis of the Constitution and the Liaquat-Nehru Pact of 1950 that led to the establishment of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) in Pakistan and a similar entity in India.
The CII chairman explained that the decision had been reached after the council listened to the points of view of various applications — mostly from clerics and those of the Hindu community.
“The decision has been made in light of various provisions of Sharia,” Ayaz said.
The CII also addressed the issue of government funding in its decision. The body pointed out that in Pakistan, there was no tradition in general for the government to provide funds for places of worships owned by private parties and said that the council could not support the idea of providing government funds for this temple.
However, it suggested alternatives to resolve the funding issues for the construction of the temple.
The first possible solution suggested by the council was to make required amendments in the Act of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) to meet the finances for needs to execute religious activities.
The CII noted that the ETPB was established in light of the Nehru-Liaquat Agreement in both countries. A similar board in India is responsible for the care of mosques and facilitation of pilgrims visiting various shrines of Muslim saints. Likewise, in Pakistan, the ETPB is responsible for the care of Hindu temples, Gurudwaras belonging to the Sikh community and the provision of adequate facilities to visitors to these places and the pilgrims.
The CII noted that the source of income of the ETPB in Pakistan was the rent collected from abandoned properties that belonged to the Hindu and Sikh communities prior to 1947.
The second possible solution proposed by the CII was to create a block fund for non-Muslim communities. It pointed out that it was the state's responsibility to ensure the welfare and prosperity of the country's citizens, who include Hindus as well.
The government may allocate funds separately and hand it over to the non-Muslim communities, and there is no Sharia constraint regarding the utilisation of that fund by the relevant community.
PTI MNA Lal Chand Malhi welcomed the CII decision and said that the move has proved that the state guarantees the rights to religious minorities in Pakistan.
“After the CII decision, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) should issue the no-objection certificate to the Hindu Panchayat Islamabad to erect a boundary wall at the plot in H-9 sector,” Malhi said.
Hindu Panchayat Islamabad will manage the temple. The Panchayat’s president, Mahesh Chaudhry, said a large number of people from various parts of the country, including Balochistan and Sindh, had shifted to Islamabad, mainly due to insecurity in those areas.
The temple dispute
The PML-N government had allotted 2,400 square yards for the construction of a Hindu temple in H-9/2 in 2017. Among those who oppose its construction today were in the government’s coalition at that time, while another opponent, Mufti Muneebur Rehman, chaired the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee.
Some other clerics, mainly affiliated with Islamabad's Lal Masjid, JUI-F and Markazi Jamiat Ahl-i-Hadis, objected to the move and termed the government's grant for a temple as "unIslamic".
Opposition for the temple's construction grew after Prime Minister Imran Khan approved a Rs100m grant for its construction in June this year. Weeks later, the CDA stopped the construction of the boundary wall on the plot meant for the temple citing legal reasons.
In July, an application was referred to the CII by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, seeking opinion over allotment of a four kanal plot in H-9/2 to the Hindu community for the establishment of a crematorium, as well as a community centre and a temple. The ministry had also sought the advice of the CII over allocation of Rs100 million by the prime minister for construction of crematorium which would include a temple as well.
An application was also filed in the Islamabad High Court by an individual against the establishment of a cremation site and construction of a temple. The court had deferred the matter and linked it to the CII decision.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1587472/c...ple-in-capital-allows-building-of-crematorium
The ruling was issued in a council meeting held in Islamabad and chaired by chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz earlier in the day.
The CII also allowed the government to hand over the temple as well as its adjoining Dharamshala (community centre) in Saidpur village of the federal capital to the Hindu community "so it can perform religious services as per their beliefs".
“In view of the current population in Islamabad, the ancient temple and the adjoining Dharamshala at Saidpur village be opened to the Hindus and they should be facilitated to reach there to perform religious services as per their beliefs,” the CII said in a statement.
The decision signed by 14 members of the CII has also stated that the Hindus, like all other religious groups in the country, have the constitutional right to have a place to perform last rites of the deceased according to their faith.
“As per this right, it is permitted for the Hindu community in Islamabad to have a suitable place where they can perform last rites of the deceased according to religious instructions,” the CII said. The body also declared that the Hindu community was allowed to build a community centre to hold wedding ceremonies and observe religious festivals under the Constitution and that there was "nothing wrong with it according to Sharia".
Apart from Islamic considerations, the decision was made on the basis of the Constitution and the Liaquat-Nehru Pact of 1950 that led to the establishment of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) in Pakistan and a similar entity in India.
The CII chairman explained that the decision had been reached after the council listened to the points of view of various applications — mostly from clerics and those of the Hindu community.
“The decision has been made in light of various provisions of Sharia,” Ayaz said.
The CII also addressed the issue of government funding in its decision. The body pointed out that in Pakistan, there was no tradition in general for the government to provide funds for places of worships owned by private parties and said that the council could not support the idea of providing government funds for this temple.
However, it suggested alternatives to resolve the funding issues for the construction of the temple.
The first possible solution suggested by the council was to make required amendments in the Act of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) to meet the finances for needs to execute religious activities.
The CII noted that the ETPB was established in light of the Nehru-Liaquat Agreement in both countries. A similar board in India is responsible for the care of mosques and facilitation of pilgrims visiting various shrines of Muslim saints. Likewise, in Pakistan, the ETPB is responsible for the care of Hindu temples, Gurudwaras belonging to the Sikh community and the provision of adequate facilities to visitors to these places and the pilgrims.
The CII noted that the source of income of the ETPB in Pakistan was the rent collected from abandoned properties that belonged to the Hindu and Sikh communities prior to 1947.
The second possible solution proposed by the CII was to create a block fund for non-Muslim communities. It pointed out that it was the state's responsibility to ensure the welfare and prosperity of the country's citizens, who include Hindus as well.
The government may allocate funds separately and hand it over to the non-Muslim communities, and there is no Sharia constraint regarding the utilisation of that fund by the relevant community.
PTI MNA Lal Chand Malhi welcomed the CII decision and said that the move has proved that the state guarantees the rights to religious minorities in Pakistan.
“After the CII decision, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) should issue the no-objection certificate to the Hindu Panchayat Islamabad to erect a boundary wall at the plot in H-9 sector,” Malhi said.
Hindu Panchayat Islamabad will manage the temple. The Panchayat’s president, Mahesh Chaudhry, said a large number of people from various parts of the country, including Balochistan and Sindh, had shifted to Islamabad, mainly due to insecurity in those areas.
The temple dispute
The PML-N government had allotted 2,400 square yards for the construction of a Hindu temple in H-9/2 in 2017. Among those who oppose its construction today were in the government’s coalition at that time, while another opponent, Mufti Muneebur Rehman, chaired the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee.
Some other clerics, mainly affiliated with Islamabad's Lal Masjid, JUI-F and Markazi Jamiat Ahl-i-Hadis, objected to the move and termed the government's grant for a temple as "unIslamic".
Opposition for the temple's construction grew after Prime Minister Imran Khan approved a Rs100m grant for its construction in June this year. Weeks later, the CDA stopped the construction of the boundary wall on the plot meant for the temple citing legal reasons.
In July, an application was referred to the CII by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, seeking opinion over allotment of a four kanal plot in H-9/2 to the Hindu community for the establishment of a crematorium, as well as a community centre and a temple. The ministry had also sought the advice of the CII over allocation of Rs100 million by the prime minister for construction of crematorium which would include a temple as well.
An application was also filed in the Islamabad High Court by an individual against the establishment of a cremation site and construction of a temple. The court had deferred the matter and linked it to the CII decision.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1587472/c...ple-in-capital-allows-building-of-crematorium
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Pakistan’s state-run council of clerics, which advises the government on religious issues, has given its approval to the construction of a new temple for minority Hindus, ruling Islamic law allows them a place of worship.
Lal Malhi, a prominent Hindu leader who is also a member of parliament, applauded Wednesday’s ruling but noted the council also recommended the government not spend public funds directly on the construction of private places of worship.
The decision by the Council of Islamic Ideology comes after the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan abruptly halted construction on the temple in the capital Islamabad in June.
Khan’s decision came amid threats from hardline Muslims who called the construction of the temple a blasphemous act.
Some of those Muslims had promised to try to stop the temple’s construction with force, raising tensions.
Khan turned to the council to decide if public money could be used for construction. He had promised $600,000 for the temple’s construction.
It was not immediately clear on Wednesday whether Khan would follow through with providing the funds in light of the council’s ruling.
However, the council’s ruling left open the possibility the money could be distributed to the Hindu community to use as it sees fit.
Khan, who has promised equal rights for minorities, is expected to issue a formal order to allow the temple’s construction.
Currently, there is no functioning temple for Hindus in Islamabad. About 3,000 Hindus live in the capital with its population of more than one million, mostly Muslims.
Muslims and Hindus generally live peacefully together in Pakistan, but there have been incidents in which Hindu girls were forcibly converted to Islam.
Most of the country’s Hindus migrated to India from present-day Pakistan in 1947 when India was divided by the British government.
Nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations. They have fought three wars over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, which is split between them but claimed by both in its entirety.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...-approve-hindu-temple-construction-in-capital
Lal Malhi, a prominent Hindu leader who is also a member of parliament, applauded Wednesday’s ruling but noted the council also recommended the government not spend public funds directly on the construction of private places of worship.
The decision by the Council of Islamic Ideology comes after the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan abruptly halted construction on the temple in the capital Islamabad in June.
Khan’s decision came amid threats from hardline Muslims who called the construction of the temple a blasphemous act.
Some of those Muslims had promised to try to stop the temple’s construction with force, raising tensions.
Khan turned to the council to decide if public money could be used for construction. He had promised $600,000 for the temple’s construction.
It was not immediately clear on Wednesday whether Khan would follow through with providing the funds in light of the council’s ruling.
However, the council’s ruling left open the possibility the money could be distributed to the Hindu community to use as it sees fit.
Khan, who has promised equal rights for minorities, is expected to issue a formal order to allow the temple’s construction.
Currently, there is no functioning temple for Hindus in Islamabad. About 3,000 Hindus live in the capital with its population of more than one million, mostly Muslims.
Muslims and Hindus generally live peacefully together in Pakistan, but there have been incidents in which Hindu girls were forcibly converted to Islam.
Most of the country’s Hindus migrated to India from present-day Pakistan in 1947 when India was divided by the British government.
Nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations. They have fought three wars over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, which is split between them but claimed by both in its entirety.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...-approve-hindu-temple-construction-in-capital
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ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Monday came under severe criticism from the public for cancelling a plot allotted for the construction of a Hindu temple and cremation centre at H-9.
However, within hours the city managers had to withdraw a notification under which the plot had been cancelled.
The four kanals at H-9/2 was allotted to the community in 2016 for the construction of the first ever Hindu temple, cremation and community centre in the federal capital.
During hearing of a case in Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday, CDA’s counsel Javed Iqbal told the court that the civic agency had already cancelled the plot for the Hindu community in February this year for not starting construction on it.
Following this, the mainstream as well as social media criticised the CDA, forcing it to withdraw the notification and restore the plot within few hours.
CDA says plot cancellation was result of misinterpretation of cabinet’s decision
CDA spokesperson Syed Asif Raza said in the light of a decision of the federal cabinet, allotments of all lands allotted to various offices, universities and other institutions on which no construction work had been started were canceled.
However, the officials concerned in the civic agency misinterpreted the cabinet decision and had cancelled the plot allotted to the Hindu community. He said approval had already been given for construction of a boundary wall on the land allotted for the temple so the decision of the federal cabinet did not apply to it. This plot did not fall in the category of those where construction had not taken place, he added.
The spokesperson also shared a copy of the new allotment letter which stated: “The allotment of subject plot allotted for temple, community centre and cremation ground for Hindu community in Sector H-9/2, Islamabad, stands valid as the same is not affected by the cabinet decision dated 22-09-2020 as construction work on the subject plot had been initiated after approval of CDA dated 21-12-2020.”
It added: “In view of the above, Directorate of Estate Management II’s letter dated 15-2-2021 stands withdrawn as ab-initio.”
Asked if the CDA will initiate any inquiry against those who misinterpreted the cabinet’s decision, he said: “Actually, there was no bad intention involved in this case. There was some sort of confusion and misinterpretation of the cabinet decision and when the matter was brought into the notice of high-ups, the allotment was restored immediately.”
He added that it was the legal and constitutional right of all citizens to observe their faith and the CDA had been playing its positive role in this regard.
In July last year, after strong reaction from rightwing groups, who criticised the government for its intention to build a Hindu temple with government funding, the CDA all of a sudden stopped the community from constructing the boundary wall around the plot.
However, the matter was resolved in December when the city managers issued permission to the community to raise the boundary wall around the proposed site.
The permission letter issued in December stated: “Permission to construct the boundary wall around cremation ground for Hindu community in H-9/2 is hereby accorded in accordance with clause 4.1.1 of Islamabad Capital Territory, Building Control Regulations 2020.”
It said the height of the boundary wall shall not exceed seven feet and that of the enclosure not less than three feet.
There is no temple and cremation centre in Islamabad for the Hindu community. After lots of efforts by the community and on the direction of the Human Right Commission of Pakistan, the CDA allotted the four kanals to the community in 2016.
In the past, there was a temple in Saidpur village but that was abandoned decades ago.
The cancellation and subsequent restoration letters were addressed to former president Islamabad Hindu Panchayat, Preetam Das. Last year, a delegation of the Hindu Panchayat led by its president Mahesh Kumar had held a meeting with the CDA chairman and informed him that the Council of Islamic Ideology had given a ruling for the construction of a crematorium in Islamabad.
Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2021
However, within hours the city managers had to withdraw a notification under which the plot had been cancelled.
The four kanals at H-9/2 was allotted to the community in 2016 for the construction of the first ever Hindu temple, cremation and community centre in the federal capital.
During hearing of a case in Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday, CDA’s counsel Javed Iqbal told the court that the civic agency had already cancelled the plot for the Hindu community in February this year for not starting construction on it.
Following this, the mainstream as well as social media criticised the CDA, forcing it to withdraw the notification and restore the plot within few hours.
CDA says plot cancellation was result of misinterpretation of cabinet’s decision
CDA spokesperson Syed Asif Raza said in the light of a decision of the federal cabinet, allotments of all lands allotted to various offices, universities and other institutions on which no construction work had been started were canceled.
However, the officials concerned in the civic agency misinterpreted the cabinet decision and had cancelled the plot allotted to the Hindu community. He said approval had already been given for construction of a boundary wall on the land allotted for the temple so the decision of the federal cabinet did not apply to it. This plot did not fall in the category of those where construction had not taken place, he added.
The spokesperson also shared a copy of the new allotment letter which stated: “The allotment of subject plot allotted for temple, community centre and cremation ground for Hindu community in Sector H-9/2, Islamabad, stands valid as the same is not affected by the cabinet decision dated 22-09-2020 as construction work on the subject plot had been initiated after approval of CDA dated 21-12-2020.”
It added: “In view of the above, Directorate of Estate Management II’s letter dated 15-2-2021 stands withdrawn as ab-initio.”
Asked if the CDA will initiate any inquiry against those who misinterpreted the cabinet’s decision, he said: “Actually, there was no bad intention involved in this case. There was some sort of confusion and misinterpretation of the cabinet decision and when the matter was brought into the notice of high-ups, the allotment was restored immediately.”
He added that it was the legal and constitutional right of all citizens to observe their faith and the CDA had been playing its positive role in this regard.
In July last year, after strong reaction from rightwing groups, who criticised the government for its intention to build a Hindu temple with government funding, the CDA all of a sudden stopped the community from constructing the boundary wall around the plot.
However, the matter was resolved in December when the city managers issued permission to the community to raise the boundary wall around the proposed site.
The permission letter issued in December stated: “Permission to construct the boundary wall around cremation ground for Hindu community in H-9/2 is hereby accorded in accordance with clause 4.1.1 of Islamabad Capital Territory, Building Control Regulations 2020.”
It said the height of the boundary wall shall not exceed seven feet and that of the enclosure not less than three feet.
There is no temple and cremation centre in Islamabad for the Hindu community. After lots of efforts by the community and on the direction of the Human Right Commission of Pakistan, the CDA allotted the four kanals to the community in 2016.
In the past, there was a temple in Saidpur village but that was abandoned decades ago.
The cancellation and subsequent restoration letters were addressed to former president Islamabad Hindu Panchayat, Preetam Das. Last year, a delegation of the Hindu Panchayat led by its president Mahesh Kumar had held a meeting with the CDA chairman and informed him that the Council of Islamic Ideology had given a ruling for the construction of a crematorium in Islamabad.
Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2021
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Pakistan is going to reopen the famous Jain Temple after its reconstruction and renovation.
The temple stood tall in all its glory and grandeur at a famous junction in Lahore named the Jain Mandir intersection.
After the demolition of the Babri Mosque on Dec. 6, 1992, in India, a mob two days later attacked the temple and damaged the building.
More than 150,000 people were present at the temple in Ayodhya to listen to leaders of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), India’s right-wing political party, according to the media reports.
After speeches, the crowd stormed the Babri mosque which was built in the 15th century. The huge building was destroyed in a matter of hours. Riots broke out in India afterward with 23 mosques destroyed and almost 2,000 people killed.
Almost 30 Hindu temples in Pakistan were damaged by mobs and spotted on roads were crowds protesting the destruction of the Babri mosque.
Now, after nearly 30 years, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has given an order authored by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed that an official has been directed to examine the site of the Jain and Neela Gumbad (Blue Tomb) temples and take steps for their restoration and rehabilitation. The order said that the work should be done without delay and a preliminary report should be filed within one month.
Also read: Temple attack accused directed to pay reconstruction charges in three days
Member National Assembly Ramesh Kumar Vankwanil, who is also a member of a commission of the Supreme Court regarding minority rights, told Anadolu Agency: “I have visited the site on Dec. 2 and also appeared in the court regarding this.”
“Pakistan is following its own Constitution in which all religions have the right to practice their faith. I am feeling proud that we are setting examples for others,” he said.
India gave its decision in the Babri mosque case on Nov. 9, 2019, in favour of Hindu parties and said “disputed land” will be given to Hindus and Muslims will get five acres separately in Ayodhya.
In September 2020, all 32 defendants were acquitted in the Babri Mosque demolition case, which also included former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani.
“We can never forget what happened in India in 1992, the response in Pakistan was also very angry but we cannot form an opinion on just one incident,” said Chairman for the Hindu Welfare Council Pakistan, Dr Munawar Chand.
“Our Muslim brothers have always stood by us. We wish we can have the Jain community again here in large number but this step of reconstruction of the Jain temple has given us immense happiness.”
Meanwhile, the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) has started work at the temple. Chairman Aamer Ahmed directed officials to present the estimation of the project and duration as soon as possible.
“We are almost done with the estimation and all the paperwork has almost been done. From next week the machinery will be on-site and the work will start in phases,” according to an official on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to talk to media.
“In the first phase, the dome which is lying on the ground will be picked up with the cranes and then we will move towards the construction of the mandir (temple).”
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2332580/pakistan-set-to-reopen-lahores-famous-jain-temple
The temple stood tall in all its glory and grandeur at a famous junction in Lahore named the Jain Mandir intersection.
After the demolition of the Babri Mosque on Dec. 6, 1992, in India, a mob two days later attacked the temple and damaged the building.
More than 150,000 people were present at the temple in Ayodhya to listen to leaders of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), India’s right-wing political party, according to the media reports.
After speeches, the crowd stormed the Babri mosque which was built in the 15th century. The huge building was destroyed in a matter of hours. Riots broke out in India afterward with 23 mosques destroyed and almost 2,000 people killed.
Almost 30 Hindu temples in Pakistan were damaged by mobs and spotted on roads were crowds protesting the destruction of the Babri mosque.
Now, after nearly 30 years, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has given an order authored by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed that an official has been directed to examine the site of the Jain and Neela Gumbad (Blue Tomb) temples and take steps for their restoration and rehabilitation. The order said that the work should be done without delay and a preliminary report should be filed within one month.
Also read: Temple attack accused directed to pay reconstruction charges in three days
Member National Assembly Ramesh Kumar Vankwanil, who is also a member of a commission of the Supreme Court regarding minority rights, told Anadolu Agency: “I have visited the site on Dec. 2 and also appeared in the court regarding this.”
“Pakistan is following its own Constitution in which all religions have the right to practice their faith. I am feeling proud that we are setting examples for others,” he said.
India gave its decision in the Babri mosque case on Nov. 9, 2019, in favour of Hindu parties and said “disputed land” will be given to Hindus and Muslims will get five acres separately in Ayodhya.
In September 2020, all 32 defendants were acquitted in the Babri Mosque demolition case, which also included former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani.
“We can never forget what happened in India in 1992, the response in Pakistan was also very angry but we cannot form an opinion on just one incident,” said Chairman for the Hindu Welfare Council Pakistan, Dr Munawar Chand.
“Our Muslim brothers have always stood by us. We wish we can have the Jain community again here in large number but this step of reconstruction of the Jain temple has given us immense happiness.”
Meanwhile, the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) has started work at the temple. Chairman Aamer Ahmed directed officials to present the estimation of the project and duration as soon as possible.
“We are almost done with the estimation and all the paperwork has almost been done. From next week the machinery will be on-site and the work will start in phases,” according to an official on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to talk to media.
“In the first phase, the dome which is lying on the ground will be picked up with the cranes and then we will move towards the construction of the mandir (temple).”
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2332580/pakistan-set-to-reopen-lahores-famous-jain-temple
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The temple that became a refuge for the flood-stricken
QUETTA: Tucked in the Kachhi district of Balochistan, the tiny village of Jalal Khan is still reeling from the flooding that destroyed houses and left mass destruction in its wake.
The village was cut off from the rest of the province due to inundation in the Nari, Bolan, and Lehri rivers, leaving the residents of the remote area to fend for themselves.
During these testing times, the local Hindu community opened the doors of the Baba Madhodas Mandir to the flood-hit people and their livestock.
According to locals, Baba Madhodas was a pre-partition Hindu dervish (saint) equally cherished by Muslims and Hindus of the area. “He used to travel on camel,” says Iltaf Buzdar, a frequent visitor to the village from Bhag Nari tehsil.
Mr Buzdar says as per the stories narrated by his parents, the saint transcended religious boundaries. “He would think of people through the prism of humanity instead of their caste and creed,” he quotes his parents.
The worship place — frequented by Hindu worshippers from across Balochistan — is made of concrete and covers a large area. Since it is located on high ground, it remained relatively safe from the floodwaters and could serve as a sanctuary to the flood-hit people in their bleakest hour.
Most members of the Hindu community in Jalal Khan have migrated to other cities of Kachhi for employment and other opportunities, but a couple of families remain on the temple premises to look after it.
Rattan Kumar, 55, a shopkeeper in the Bhag Nari tehsil, is in charge of the temple at present. “There are over one hundred rooms in the temple as a large number of people from all over Balochistan and Sindh come here for pilgrimage every year,” he tells Dawn.
It’s not like the temple did not bear the brunt of abnormal rains. Sawan Kumar, Rattan’s son, told Dawn a few rooms were damaged, but overall the structure remained safe. At least 200-300 people, mostly Muslims, and their livestock were given refuge on the premises and looked after by Hindu families.
Initially, the area was completely cut off from the rest of the district. The displaced said they were provided rations via helicopter sorties, but after their moved to the temple, they were being fed by the Hindu community.
Israr Mugheri is a doctor in Jalal Khan. Since his arrival, he has set up a medical camp inside the temple. “Besides locals, Hindus have also housed the goats and sheep along with other domesticated animals,” he told with Dawn. “There were announcements on the loudspeaker by the local Hindus, calling upon Muslims to rush to the temple to take refuge,” he adds.
Those who took refuge there say they are indebted to the local community for coming to their aid and providing them food and shelter during this difficult hour.
For locals, opening the temple to the survivors of the flood was a gesture of humanity and religious harmony, which has been their tradition of centuries.
DAWN
QUETTA: Tucked in the Kachhi district of Balochistan, the tiny village of Jalal Khan is still reeling from the flooding that destroyed houses and left mass destruction in its wake.
The village was cut off from the rest of the province due to inundation in the Nari, Bolan, and Lehri rivers, leaving the residents of the remote area to fend for themselves.
During these testing times, the local Hindu community opened the doors of the Baba Madhodas Mandir to the flood-hit people and their livestock.
According to locals, Baba Madhodas was a pre-partition Hindu dervish (saint) equally cherished by Muslims and Hindus of the area. “He used to travel on camel,” says Iltaf Buzdar, a frequent visitor to the village from Bhag Nari tehsil.
Mr Buzdar says as per the stories narrated by his parents, the saint transcended religious boundaries. “He would think of people through the prism of humanity instead of their caste and creed,” he quotes his parents.
The worship place — frequented by Hindu worshippers from across Balochistan — is made of concrete and covers a large area. Since it is located on high ground, it remained relatively safe from the floodwaters and could serve as a sanctuary to the flood-hit people in their bleakest hour.
Most members of the Hindu community in Jalal Khan have migrated to other cities of Kachhi for employment and other opportunities, but a couple of families remain on the temple premises to look after it.
Rattan Kumar, 55, a shopkeeper in the Bhag Nari tehsil, is in charge of the temple at present. “There are over one hundred rooms in the temple as a large number of people from all over Balochistan and Sindh come here for pilgrimage every year,” he tells Dawn.
It’s not like the temple did not bear the brunt of abnormal rains. Sawan Kumar, Rattan’s son, told Dawn a few rooms were damaged, but overall the structure remained safe. At least 200-300 people, mostly Muslims, and their livestock were given refuge on the premises and looked after by Hindu families.
Initially, the area was completely cut off from the rest of the district. The displaced said they were provided rations via helicopter sorties, but after their moved to the temple, they were being fed by the Hindu community.
Israr Mugheri is a doctor in Jalal Khan. Since his arrival, he has set up a medical camp inside the temple. “Besides locals, Hindus have also housed the goats and sheep along with other domesticated animals,” he told with Dawn. “There were announcements on the loudspeaker by the local Hindus, calling upon Muslims to rush to the temple to take refuge,” he adds.
Those who took refuge there say they are indebted to the local community for coming to their aid and providing them food and shelter during this difficult hour.
For locals, opening the temple to the survivors of the flood was a gesture of humanity and religious harmony, which has been their tradition of centuries.
DAWN
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