Angry mob attacks, demolishes temple in northwestern Pakistan, draws strong condemnation

Peshawar: In a shameful incident, a mob led by members of Pakistan's radical Islamist party demolished a temple and set it ablaze in the deeply conservative northwestern town of Karak in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

The incident took place in the town of Karak and drew widespread condemnation from human rights activists and Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Shireen Mazari.

Mazari on Wednesday took to Twitter to condemn the burning of the temple and urged law enforcement officials to ensure the arrest of those involved.

“Strongly condemn the burning of a Hindu temple by a mob in Karak Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. KP govt must ensure culprits brought to justice. MOHR also moving on this. We as a govt have a responsibility to ensure safety & security of all our citizens & their places of worship,” Mazari tweeted.

Strongly condemn the burning of a Hindu temple by a mob in Karak Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. KP govt must ensure culprits brought to justice. MOHR also moving on this. We as a govt have a responsibility to ensure safety & security of all our citizens & their places of worship.

— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) December 30, 2020

He further informed that the district administration has registered an FIR and detained several people. District police chief Irfan Ullah too said police detained several people over their involvement in the attack on the temple. Witnesses said the mob, led by activists and local leaders of the radical Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party, attacked the temple after local Hindus received permission from authorities to renovate it.

The incident comes weeks after the government allowed minority Hindus to build a new temple in Islamabad on the recommendation of a council of clerics.

Although Muslims and Hindus generally live peacefully together in Pakistan, there have been other attacks on temples in recent years. Most of Pakistan's minority Hindus migrated to India in 1947 when India was divided by Britain's government.