ISLAMABAD - Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed Thursday took notice of the burning of Hindu temple in Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP).
The Chief Justice has fixed the matter for hearing on January 5, 2021 and directed one-man Commission on Minorities Rights, KP Chief Secretary and KP Inspector General (IG) of police to visit the site and submit the report.
It was December 30 when a mob had burnt the shrine of Hindu saint Shri Paramhans Ji Maharaj in Karak. The Samadhi (shrine) is considered sacred by the Hindu community. The Hindu devotees, especially from Sindh, used to visit it.
According to a statement released by the apex court, MNA and Pakistan Hindu Council chief Ramesh Kumar called on the Chief Justice at the Karachi registry of the SC and discussed the issue.
It stated, “The Chief Justice of Pakistan showed grave concern over the tragic incident and informed the member of parliament that he has already taken cognizance 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.”
According to police officials, a meeting of clerics was held at Shanki Adda in Teri, Karak, before the attack. The local police have detained at least 14 people in 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.
According to witnesses, the mob was led by a local cleric and supporters of a religious political party. The controversy over the Samadhi of Shri Paramhans Ji Maharaj erupted many decades ago. The Supreme Court had in 2015 ordered the KP government to restore and reconstruct the Hindu shrine.
The order was issued over a petition of MNA Kumar, who was at that time in PML-N and later joined PTI. He had claimed that the Samadhi of Shri Paramhans Mahraj had been occupied by an influential cleric of the area.
A letter written by the then deputy commissioner of Karak to a deputy secretary of the provincial home department in February 2014, which was submitted to the Supreme Court, had stated that a Hindu shrine was constructed at a place where Shri Paramhans Ji Maharaj died in 1919 and buried in Teri village. His followers used to visit the place to pay their respect and the practice continued till 1997 when some local people dismantled the shrine.