Pakistan cancels land allotment to Hindu community for construction of temple in Islamabad

The Imran Khan-led Pakistan government has cancelled the allotment of land for building a temple in the national capital, Islamabad. In yet another incident of prejudice against the minorities in the Muslim-dominated country, the City Development Authority (CDA) in Pakistan's national capital Islamabad cancelled the allotment of land to the Hindu community for building a Temple.

The CDA on the contrary dismissed the claims of discrimination and argued that the Centre had instructed the CDA to cancel all allotments in 'Green Areas' if construction has not been done.

Harassment of minorities in Pakistan

This comes as the country has seen an increase in instances of harassment and violence against religious minorities. Unidentified individuals ransacked a Hindu temple in Kotri, Sindh province, Pakistan, earlier this month, inciting fury amongst local Hindus. According to local media sources, after smashing idols, the perpetrators fled with lakhs of cash and other valuables.

The sufferings of religious minorities in Pakistan continue to persist as there have been incidents of violence against the minorities, abduction of girls from the minority community, forceful conversions, or the vandalism of religious institutions that have been reported frequently. These are just a few of the many attacks reported on religious minorities in Pakistan.

Vandalisation of Hindu Temples

One such incident was reported on Monday, November 2 as an ancient Hindu temple was vandalised in Pakistan's Karachi. The Hindu Gods and relics mounted in the temple were desecrated and found to be in damaged condition.

This attack comes just days after two incidents of vandalism in October (October 10 and October 24) of Hindu temples in Pakistan's Sindh province. One person was said to be arrested in connection with the October 10 incident, according to a PTI report. In May this year, an incident had come to light where a colony of a minority Hindu community in Bahawalpur was demolished. The demolition exercise was carried out under the watch of Tariq Bashir Cheema, the Housing Minister in the Imran Khan cabinet, and the country's Principal Information Officer Shahid Khokhar, ANI reported. A video of the incident was said to be making the rounds on the internet. 

(With Inputs from Agencies)

Image: AP