PESHAWAR: Police have arrested 31 people in overnight raids after a Hindu shrine was set on fire and severely damaged by a mob led by supporters of a cleric in Karak district.
Local police said they detained at least 31 people in overnight raids and more raids were underway to arrest individuals who participated or provoked the mob to demolish the shrine.
The attack happened after members of the Hindu community received permission from local authorities to renovate the building. Soonafter they started work a mob led by a cleric and supporters of a religious political party and destroyed the temple building.
Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri called the attack “a conspiracy against sectarian harmony”. He took to Twitter on Thursday, saying attacks on minorities’ places of worship were not allowed in Islam. “Protection of religious freedom of minorities is our religious, constitutional, moral and national responsibility,” he wrote.
The incident comes weeks after the government allowed Hindu citizens 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 Hindu places of worship in recent years.
Meanwhile, Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed took notice of the incident and fixed the matter for hearing on Jan 5, 2021.
According to a statement released by the apex court, Member of the National Assembly and Pakistan Hindu Council chief Ramesh Kumar called on the chief justice at the SC’s Karachi registry and discussed the issue.
“The chief justice of Pakistan showed grave concern over the tragic incident and informed the member of parliament that he has already taken cognisance of the issue and has fixed the matter before court on 05.01.2021 at Islamabad with directions to one-man Commission on Minorities Rights, KP chief secretary and KP inspector general of police to visit the site and submit [a] report on 04.01.2021,” it stated.
According to local police, a meeting of clerics was held at Shanki Adda in Teri, Karak before the attack.
The Samadhi (shrine) of Shri Paramhans Ji Maharaj is considered sacred by the Hindu community and popular among devotees, especially from Sindh.
District Police Officer Irfanullah told Dawn that a first information report (FIR) was registered against two local clerics identified as Maulvi Mohammad Sharif and Maulana Faizullah and several other unidentified persons.
He said that the protesters were peaceful in the initial stage but on the provocation of some clerics, they turned violent and attacked the shrine.
