There seems no impact of the recently globally observed day of “Human Rights” in Pakistan. The suppression of minority Hindus in Pakistan continues as their human rights being violated in Pakistan has become an ongoing issue
After many cases of abduction and forceful Islamic conversion of Hindu girls, now a new trend of demolition Hindu shrines is emerging to disgrace the Hindus in Pakistan.
The upset Pakistani Hindus joined a protest outside the Press Club at Karachi over the demolition of an 80-year-old temple in the city’s Soldier Bazar area.
The Krishna or Rama Peer Mandir at Dholi Khata in Soldier Bazar has become a bone of contention between the minority Hindu community and a powerful builder, who bought the land on which the temple was built from the military estate office through a government auction.
Patron of the Pakistan Hindu Council Ramesh Kumar Vankwani says, “Religious articles, including pictures and statuettes of our gods, are still lying in the rubble of the demolished temple and families living in the compound on which the temple was built still remain homeless,” quotes PTI.
Several families displaced by the demolition of the temple participated in the protest. This issue has unearthed and highlighted the growing insecurity of Pakistan’s minorities once again. Ironically the issue of severe violation of Human Rights of Pakistan Hindus who are has been ignored by rights activists in Pakistan and India. As per available census of Pakistan (1998) the Hindu population of the Islamic nation is 2.5 million.
Hindu community of Pakistan and Pakistan Hindu Seva (Welfare Trust) condemn the demolition of Shri Mari Mata Mandir in Karachi. President of PHS Sanjesh S Dhanja told NewsBharati
There was much disappointment among Hindus of Pakistan following demolition of Shri Mari Mata Temple for over 100 years. There are more than 200 historical temples still exist in Pakistan and all were before partition. If these temples yearly demolished so where we go for prayers.
He added that it was the 2nd incident in Karachi metropolitan city. Last year in the same area another temple was demolished century old Sri Rama Pir temple in Karachi. People of the Hindu community said that they don’t get any justice from anyone in this country and the result of the Sri Rama Pir Mandir Doli Khata not came and another temple demolished.
Sanjesh Dhanja has requested Pakistan Government and Chief Justice of Pakistan to take note of this case of violation of human rights of Pakiustan Hindus.
“I request to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani chief Justice of Pakistan.believe that government will take strict action against those responsible for the demolition of temple,” says Sanjesh.
The ETPB official said the dispute over the shrine in Soldier Bazar began in 2008, when the Military Estates Officer issued eviction notices to the temple and more than a dozen Hindu families living in houses built around it.
Vankwani insisted that maps with the ETPB showed the temple was present on the plot even before Partition. “The Hindu families have been living in the compound since Partition and instead of being thrown out, they should have been offered ownership rights for a price,” he said.
Vankwani who is also a member of the Sindh chapter of the PML-N party, said authorities had crushed the sentiments of Hindus across the world by razing the historical temple. “The departments responsible for this gross injustice are the military estate office and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), who auctioned off the land to a powerful builder without caring about our sentiments,” he said.
An ETPB official, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed the temple was illegally built on military land that had been auctioned. The temple was legally razed on the orders of a court, he said, claims PTI in a report.
Many Hindu temples in Karachi have in recent years been the subject of disputes involving commercial builders.
One of the residents of Doli Khata told media that the government could have spared the temple but this incident has shown that there is no care for Hindus in Pakistan.
