Symbolic photo of encroachment on Hindu temple in Pakistan.
Karachi: Pakistan is not ready to desist from its antics. This time Pakistanis have illegally occupied the land of a Shiva temple more than 100 years old near Tando Jam town in Sindh province. Illegal construction work has also been started there after possession. Representatives of the Hindu community in Pakistan have expressed deep displeasure over the incident and demanded immediate intervention from the government. Shiv Kachhi, the head of the Hindu organization ‘Darwar Ittehad Pakistan’, released a video on social media on Thursday, saying that this temple located about 185 km from Karachi is very important from both historical and religious point of view.
Kachhi said, “This temple is more than a century old, but the bullies have occupied the temple premises and around it. The road leading to the temple has also been disrupted.” He said that a local committee was responsible for the operation of the temple and overseeing about four acres of land. Last year, the Sindh Heritage Department also got partial renovation of this temple, which confirms its historical importance.
Cremation ground near temple also affected
Kachhi said that a cremation ground is also located near the temple for the funeral of the people of the community, due to which its sanctity is now in danger. Every Monday devotees gather in the temple and perform bhajan-kirtan, which is now being interrupted due to this possession and construction work. Shiva Kachhi has appealed to the Government of Pakistan to immediately stop the illegal construction work happening and around the temple premises and take strict action against the occupiers. He said, “There are many historical Hindu temples in Sindh and protecting them is the constitutional duty of the government.”
Questions raised again on the safety of religious places of minorities
This incident has come to light at a time when incidents of attacks and encroachments of religious minorities, especially the Hindu community, are constantly coming to the fore in Pakistan. Human rights organizations have repeatedly demanded the Government of Pakistan to ensure religious freedom of minorities and safety of their heritage sites. (Language)
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