Peshawar: Pakistan has once again dealt the biggest attack on the faith of Hindus by demolishing a historic Hindu temple in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The government has demolished a historic Hindu temple near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and begun construction of a commercial complex at the site, which was closed since 1947 when its original inhabitants migrated to India. The ‘Khyber Temple’ was located in the border town of Landi Kotal Bazar in Khyber district, but it was gradually disappearing over the years. Construction at this location started about 10-15 days ago.
Officials from various administrative departments either denied having knowledge of the existence of the Hindu temple or claimed that the construction was taking place as per the rules. Ibrahim Shinwari, a prominent tribal journalist and resident of Landi Kotal, claimed that there was a historical temple in the main Landi Kotal market. He said, “The temple was located in the center of Landi Kotal market, which was closed in 1947 after the local Hindu families migrated to India.
Even during the demolition of Babri in Ayodhya, this temple was damaged by Pakistanis.
After the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, India in 1992, it was partially damaged by some clerics and madrassas.” Ibrahim, recalling his childhood, said that he heard many stories about this temple from his ancestors. . “There is no doubt that there was a shrine called the ‘Khyber Temple’ at Landi Kotal,” he said. Haroon Sarbadial of the Pakistan Hindu Temple Management Committee stressed that the historic shrine was of religious importance to non-Muslims. It is the responsibility of the district administration and concerned government departments to ensure the safety and rehabilitation of buildings.
He said, “The Department of Archeology and Museums, Police, Culture Department and the local government are bound by the Antiquities Act of 2016 to protect such sites, including places of worship.” Dawn newspaper quoted Landi Kotal Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Irshad as saying. Said that there is no mention of the temple in the official land records of Khyber Tribal District. He expressed ignorance about the demolition of the temple. “The entire land in Landi Kotal market belonged to the state,” he said. Jamal Afridi, Patwari of Landi Kotal, claimed that he was not aware of the construction activity at the temple site. (Language)
Latest World News