ISLAMABAD - The religious segment in the country held celebrations after the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Friday stopped construction of the boundary wall on a plot allotted for the temple.
Many supporters of the religious political parties termed it a victory and took credit after the government halted work on the construction of temple in the Capital.
Meanwhile, a nationwide debate has also sparked on social media between the supporters of the ruling party and the religious parties on the matter of temple. While talking to The Nation a journalist Abdur Rauf Yousafzai said that worship places don’t pose any danger to the country economy or foundation and opposing the idea of temple is actually denying freedom of religion and suppressing minorities.
However, in order to avoid any further protest from the religious segment of the country the ruling party decided to take the matter to the Council of Islamic Ideology.
Earlier on July 1, many religious parties including JUI-F and Jamaat e Islami had urged the government to stop work on the temple as it was against the Islamic teachings. Previously, well-known religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani in a statement had also said, “Non-Muslims in the Islamic state have the right to maintain their places of worship wherever it is necessary for their population.”
The religious parties also had adopted the stance that a temple cannot be built by the taxes of Muslims. They also warned the government to raise the matter in Shariat Court if construction work was not stopped.
In response to the allegations of the of religious parties, the ministry of religious affairs had said the plot for the temple was allotted by CDA in 2017 on the directions of the National Commission for Human Rights and not the religious affairs ministry; adding that the Hindu community had to bear the expenses for the building not by the government
