Pakistan’s government implements ban on commercial buildings replacing places of worship

The Hindu community had appealed to the Pakistan-Hindu Council, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and the Inspector General of Sindh police to look into the matter on an urgent basis.

Karachi: Pakistan‘s Sindh government has said that it will not allow the construction of any commercial building by razing the structure of a place of worship, even if it is of any minority community after reports of the demolition of a 150-year-old Hindu temple emerged in Karachi.

The Mari Mata Temple in Karachi‘s Soldier Bazar was reportedly razed to the ground by bulldozers in the presence of a heavy contingent of police force on Friday.

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The Hindu community had appealed to the Pakistan-Hindu Council, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and the Inspector General of Sindh police to look into the matter on an urgent basis.

Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab of Pakistan People’s Party said that his party believed in religious harmony and freedom, and no one would be allowed to construct or raze the structure of a place of worship even that of a minority community, reported The Dawn newspaper.
The Hindu community in the area said that the “builder mafia” had demolished the temple after two persons – Imran Hashmi and Rekha Bai – sold the property to a builder allegedly by using ‘fake documents’.

The provincial government, however, has contested the Hindu community’s claim about the demolition of the temple but ordered police and local administration to stop construction or demolition work at the piece of land that housed the century-old temple, the report said.

“[I] have checked. No such demolition of the Mandir has taken place and Mandir is still intact,” Wahab said in a tweet on Sunday.

“The administration has intervened and Hindu Panchayat has been asked to assist police in ascertaining the true facts. I will keep everyone posted on this. The Pakistan Peoples Party stands with people of all communities,” he said.

After an initial probe, the police said that Rekha claimed to have owned the piece of land and the Hindu temple was built on a portion of the said plot.

“And that too was moved from the said property to an adjacent small room several years ago,” said an official.

Under the fresh directives from the Sindh government, the police were now coordinating with the Madrasi Hindu community of Karachi that had been managing the temple for the last several decades, the official said.

“No more activity [demolition or construction work] is going on at the site. The police would check records, determine the facts and counter-check the claims of both sides,” added the official.

Karachi is home to many ancient Hindu temples and the Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan.
The majority of Pakistan’s Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with Muslim residents.