After reports emerged that a 150-year-old Hindu temple in Pakistan’s Karachi was bulldozed, Mayor of Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui refuted the reports saying that the temple was intact and the correct facts have to be ascertained. Used to be.
Siddiqui shared some pictures of the Hindu place of worship on Twitter on Sunday. He insisted that no demolition has taken place despite several pictures and videos showing the demolition drive at the temple site on social media.
“Have checked. No such demolition of the temple has happened and the temple is still intact. The administration has intervened and the Hindu Panchayat has been asked to assist the police in ascertaining the correct facts. All are informed on this Will be done. PPP stands with all people and communities,” he tweeted.
He also said that no one would be allowed to build or demolish a structure of any religious minority community’s place of worship in Pakistan, reported Dawn.
Allegedly vandalized without notice
The demolition of the Mari Mata temple at Soldier Bazaar in Karachi sent shock waves through the Hindu community there. The demolition drive was carried out late Friday night in the presence of heavy police force after the structure was declared old and dangerous.
People allege that they were not informed about the demolition of the temple. Ramnath Mishra Maharaj, caretaker of old Hindu temples in the area, said, “They (the authorities) did it early in the morning and we were not aware that this was going to happen.”
Further, the Hindu community alleged that the property was sold to a builder through forged documents allegedly by Emraan Hashmi and Rekha Bai. He also claimed that the builder wanted to construct a commercial building at the site of the temple.
While not confirming the reports of demolition, an official said that there is no demolition or construction work going on at the site now and that the police have been working with Karachi’s Madrasi Hindu community for several decades in managing the temple.
“The police will examine the records, determine the facts and verify the claims of both the parties,” he added.
Countering the allegations, he said that the Madrasi Hindu community had agreed that the structure was very old and dangerous. Furthermore, he added that the temple management reluctantly but temporarily shifted most of the deities to a smaller room until they could do some renovation work there.
Another temple was demolished in Sindh
Such attacks on Hindu temples are not uncommon in Pakistan. The Hindu community has appealed to the Pakistan-Hindu Council, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and the Inspector General of Sindh Police to take notice and look into the matter on an urgent basis.
One such incident came to light from Sindh, in the early hours of Sunday, a gang of dacoits attacked a Hindu place of worship with a “rocket launcher” in Kashmore, Sindh.
The assailants attacked a place of worship and houses of the surrounding community under the jurisdiction of Gauspur police station.
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