Narowal, September 9 (Daily Kiran) : A 100-year-old Hindu temple in Narowal, Punjab, collapsed recently, sparking heightened concerns among minority communities in Pakistan. Various conflicting claims surrounding the incident have fueled controversy.
The Pakistan Masihah Millat Party (PMMP), an organization advocating for minority rights, has alleged that the temple was deliberately demolished to make way for a nearby madrasa. In contrast, the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), which manages properties belonging to Hindu and Sikh communities that migrated to India after partition, stated that the temple fell due to heavy rainfall. The Punjab government has supported ETPB’s assertion.
Aslam Parvez Sahotra, president of PMMP, reported that he and local residents have submitted a written complaint to the additional home secretary of Punjab, demanding action against those responsible for the temple’s destruction and the officials who failed to protect it. He noted that in January, the ETPB’s deputy director in Sialkot had ordered the cancellation of the madrasa’s lease and the removal of illegal occupants, but this order was never enforced.
The PMMP claims that the temple was gradually dismantled, with bricks and metal materials removed from the site. They argue that if the structure had collapsed solely due to rain, there would be no reason for the construction materials to be missing. The organization is calling for the temple to be reconstructed in its original form and for the Punjab government to ensure the protection of Hindu temples, Sikh gurdwaras, and Christian churches.
This incident has reignited longstanding concerns among minority communities, who point to previous instances of damage to religious and heritage sites under contentious circumstances. A report highlighted that in June, parts of the 125-year-old Gurdwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farooqabad were reduced to rubble. A local businessman allegedly carried out the demolition without legal permission or a court order.
Following protests from the Sikh community, the administration eventually acknowledged the situation. The report indicated that machinery damaged the building, which had been revered for generations. Officials later admitted that the department had failed to address the matter in a timely manner and only acted after the protests, promising to restore the gurdwara.
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