- A group of people demolished the 100-year-old Hindu temple in Narowal for the expansion of the seminary.
- PMMP chairman Aslam Parvez Sahotra and local residents submitted a written application to the Punjab Additional Home Secretary on August 28, asking for action against those behind the demolition and officials who failed to protect the religious site.
- The PMMP demanded the local administration to reconstruct the temple in its original form and urged the Punjab government to protect temples, gurdwaras and churches and their properties.
- Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) had leased land near the temple to a seminary, but the lease was cancelled after rent went unpaid for years, and parts of the property were later illegally occupied.
- An order issued by the ETPB Deputy Director in Sialkot in January, cancelling the seminary’s lease and ordering eviction of illegal occupants and sealing of the property, was never implemented.
A 100-year-old Hindu temple in Narowal, Punjab, was demolished on August 21, raising alarms among minority communities. The Pakistan Masiha Millat Party (PMMP) claims the demolition was deliberate to facilitate the expansion of a nearby seminary.4
PMMP chairman Aslam Parvez Sahotra stated that local residents submitted a written application to the Punjab Additional Home Secretary on August 28, demanding accountability for the officials who failed to protect the religious site. The group has called for the temple's reconstruction in its original form, emphasizing the need for the government to safeguard minority religious sites.
Sahotra noted that the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) had previously leased the land to a seminary, but the lease was canceled due to unpaid rent. He highlighted that parts of the property were illegally occupied, and an order to evict these occupants was never enforced. The PMMP's demands reflect broader concerns about the treatment of minority communities in Pakistan, particularly regarding the preservation of their cultural and religious heritage.56
The PMMP has urged the Punjab government to take immediate action to protect temples, gurdwaras, and churches, ensuring that such incidents do not recur in the future.
“PMMP chairman Aslam Parvez Sahotra and residents filed a written application with the Punjab Additional Home Secretary on August 28, citing an unimplemented ETPB eviction order from January. The group also urged the Punjab government to protect temples, gurdwaras, and churches.”
The Statesman
