Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has strongly condemned the attack on Hindu Saint’s shrine in Karak, vowing that the religious sites of minorities will be protected.
PESHAWAR: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Jan 1st, 2020) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Friday announced to rebuild shrine of a Hindu saint in the Teri area of Karak district which was set on fire by a mob two days ago.
The Chief Minister said that the government had issued orders to rebuilds the temple.
He made this announcement while addressing a health card distribution ceremony.
“No one will be allowed to take law in their own hands,” said Chief Minister Khan, adding that several suspects were arrested for their involvement in the incident.
“The religious sites of minorities will be protected,” he further said.
On Thursday, police conducted raids and arrested 14 people so far over charges of setting Hindu shrine in Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The local police conducted raids overnight and detained 14 people and further raids were being conducted to arrest other individuals who took part in burning the shrine and setting the shrine on fire.
The tragic incident grabbed attention of minorities’ rights activists in and outside Pakistan. The mob attacked the Hindu shrine after the authorities allowed them to renovate the building.
Taking to Twitter, Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri strongly condemned the attack on Hindu shrine in Karak. He wrote: “a conspiracy against sectarian harmony”. He took to Twitter on Thursday, saying attacks on places of worship of minority religious groups are not allowed in islam and “protection of religious freedom of minorities is our religious, constitutional, moral and national responsibility,”.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmad took suo motu notice of attack on the Hindu temple in Karak on Thursday.
The Chief Justice directed One-man commission on minorities' rights, Khyber Pakhtunkhawa secretary and Inspector General of Police (IGP) over the incident. The top judge fixed the matter for hearing on January 5 at the principal seat of the Supreme Court in Islamabad.
A mob of hundreds of people set Hindu temple ablaze and burnt the shrine of Hindu saint Shri Paramhans ji in the area.
The CJP took the notice after videos and pictures of the tragic incident went viral on social media, trigging serious debate about the minorities' rights and protection in the country.
According to Supreme Court of Pakistan's Spokesman Shahid Hussain Kamboyo, MNA Ramesh Kumar called on Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed and discussed the tragic incident.
He said that the MNA was informed that the notice on the incident had alraedy been taken and the case had been fixed for hearing on January 5, 2021.
“The CJP expressed serious concerns over the incident and took notice,” a statement issued by the SC's spokesman read.
Human rights activits in and outside the country expressed serious concerns over the matter of burning temple of Hindu saint and setting it ablaze in Karak. According to some reports, the local clerics incited the people to do so in reaction to the Hindus' attack on a mosque in India.
