A century-old Hindu temple has been demolished in Pakistan’s Karachi. Pakistan-based Daybreak reported that the Hindu group in Karachi awoke on Saturday morning to seek out the outdated Mari Mata Temple had been razed to the bottom. The residents of the world mentioned the operation occurred whereas the world was with out electrical energy late on Friday night time. That is when the diggers and a bulldozer arrived to do their work. Whereas leaving the outer partitions and the temple’s primary gate intact, they demolished all the inside construction, the report mentioned. The residents additionally mentioned that they noticed a police cellular there to supply ‘cowl’ to the lads working the machines. The temple is positioned close to the Soldier Bazaar police station.
Additionally learn: One other assault on Hindus: Dacoits strike place of worship with rocket launchers in Pakistan’s Sindh
“It’s a very outdated mandir,” Ram Nath Mishra, priest of one other very outdated temple close by, the Shri Punch Mukhi Hanuman Mandir, mentioned whereas chatting with Daybreak. Mishra mentioned that the temple is alleged to have been constructed over 150 years in the past. “We now have additionally heard of tales about outdated treasures buried in its courtyard.” He additionally mentioned that the temple coated about 400 to 500 sq. yards and there had been speak of the land grabbers having their eye on it for a while now.
In keeping with the report, the priest mentioned that the temple was beneath the administration of the Madrasi Hindu group of Karachi, and because it was being mentioned that it was a really outdated and harmful construction which may topple any day, the mandir administration after a lot strain reluctantly however quickly moved most of their deities to a small room close to the stormwater drain till they might perform some renovation work there. “However final night time the Mari Mata Mandir was simply flattened,” he added.
A member of the Madrasi Hindu group mentioned they had been being compelled to vacate by two individuals, Imran Hashmi and Rekha Bai, Daybreak reported. There was additionally speak of the temple being offered off to a different celebration for an quantity of 70 million rupees and the patrons had been seeking to construct a business constructing there.
The Hindu group within the space mentioned that the “builder mafia” had demolished the temple after Imran Hashmi and Rekha Bai offered the property to a builder allegedly by utilizing “pretend paperwork”. After an preliminary probe, the police mentioned that Rekha claimed to have owned the piece of land, and the Hindu temple was constructed on a portion of the mentioned plot. “And that too was moved from the mentioned property to an adjoining small room a number of years in the past,” an official was quoted as saying.
The Sindh authorities contested the Hindu group’s demolition declare however ordered police and native administration to cease development or demolition work on the piece of land that housed the temple.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui, too, claimed that no such demolition of the temple had taken place and “mandir continues to be intact”. He mentioned the administration had intervened and Hindu Panchayat had been requested to help police in ascertaining the true info. “Will maintain everybody posted on this. PPP stands with individuals of all communities.”
On Sunday, it was reported {that a} gang of dacoits attacked a Hindu temple with rocket launchers within the Kashmore space of the Sindh province. The assault got here simply days after dacoits had threatened to assault Hindu locations of worship and group members in response to Pakistani girl Seema Haider’s marriage to a Hindu man in India.
A distinguished Pakistani human rights activist has voiced concern over the concentrating on of Hindus within the Sindh province in response to Seema’s transfer. Shiva Kacchi, who heads the Pakistan Derawar Ittehad organisation which fights for minorities, mentioned: “Day by day, dacoits who conceal within the riverine areas are doing dwell movies threatening to kill and kidnap Hindus, torture their girls and assault their worship locations and houses in retaliation for Seema Jakhrani case.”
