Over a 100-year-old Hindu temple ‘demolished’ in Pakistan's Punjab; officials say collapsed due to rain
The Hindu temple, which was over a century old, was reportedly demolished on August 21 to include its land in a madrassa.
In a controversial development, a century-old Hindu temple in Pakistan's Punjab province was reportedly demolished on August 21 to expand a local madrassa. This move has drawn criticism from various leaders and officials. The temple, situated in Siraj village of Narowal, was around 100-125 years old and occupied approximately 1,000 square meters of land.
The alleged demolition was carried out by a group belonging to the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). However, the government claims that the temple collapsed due to heavy rainfall.
The Hindu community expressed their shock and disappointment, with Rattan Lal, a Hindu community leader, condemning the demolition and urging the government to restore the temple. He alleged that the temple shikhar's metal fittings and bricks were removed from the site, adding that several people had occupied the land illegally after the lease was cancelled. The district administration and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) were criticized for failing to protect the site or remove the alleged occupants.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times - World News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
