- Local media claimed that the temple in Soldier Bazaar was demolished on Friday.
- The mayor says that the panchayat asked the police to help them ascertain the facts.
- Robbers attack Hindu temple in Kashmore; HRCP condemned the incident.
After local media reported that a more than 150-year-old Hindu temple in Karachi’s Soldier Bazaar area was demolished, the port city’s mayor Murtaza Wahab denied the reports.
Sharing two pictures of the temple – a Hindu shrine for worship – on his official Twitter handle, the mayor of Karachi wrote: “Checked. No such demolition of the temple [and] The temple is still intact.”
The old Mari Mata temple in the Soldier Bazaar area of the port city was demolished in a covert operation on Friday night, local media reported on Sunday, adding that residents of the area had reported seeing a police mobile there. Who was providing ‘cover’ to the people running the temple. machines.
Wahab, however, dismissed the report and wrote: “The administration has intervened [and] The Hindu Panchayat has been asked to assist the police in ascertaining the correct facts. Will keep telling everyone about this.”
He also affirmed that his party, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), “stands with people of all communities”.
However, attacks on Hindu temples in Pakistan are a very grim reality.
The News reported on Monday that a gang of robbers fired mortar shells at Gulshan Dera Baba Sanwal Shah, a shrine of the Baghariji minority community near Ghauspur in Kashmore district.
A portion of the compound wall was damaged due to the attack. However, the mortars did not explode.
The robbers also fired at the houses of Ramdas Baghwano Das, Rewari Kumar and others.
Kashmore-Kandhakot SSP Irfan Samo reached the spot and inquired about the attack.
Bhagwan Das and others stated that the Dera Baba Sawal Shah used to hold an annual meeting of the community. He told the SSP that his meeting was the target of the attack.
People panicked due to mortar fire and firing and women and children ran away from the temple, he said.
Reacting to the news, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan on its official Twitter handle condemned the incident.
HRCP tweeted, “HRCP is concerned over reports of deteriorating law and order situation in Kashmore and Ghotki districts of Sindh, where around 30 members of the Hindu community, including women and children, have been allegedly held hostage by organized criminal gangs.”
“Additionally, we have received disturbing reports that these gangs have threatened to attack the community’s places of worship using high-end weapons.”
In its tweet, the HRCP urged, “Sindh Home Department should immediately investigate the matter and take steps to protect all vulnerable citizens in these areas.”
