Pak Hindus pardon mob that vandalised temple

A still from video footage of the attack on December 30, 2020. Pakistan’s Supreme Court had ordered restoration of the shrine

The Hindu community in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has decided to pardon the mob that vandalised and burned down a century-old temple in the province.

The local clerics and members of the Hindu community held a meeting on Saturday to resolve the dispute.

As per the dialogue, informally called ‘jigra', the accused have tendered an apology over the attack and a similar incident in 1997. The Muslim clerics have assured full protection to the Hindus and their rights as per the country's Constitution.

A reconciliation statement from the meeting would be presented to the Supreme Court, in a bid to secure the release of the accused from detention.

On December 30 last year, a mob led by some local clerics and members of radical Islamist party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam vandalised the temple and an adjoining ‘samadhi' and set it on fire in Terri village of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Karak district. Nearly 50 people have been arrested in the case.

The attack on the Samadhi of Shri Paramhans Ji Maharaj had drawn strong condemnation from rights activists and Hindu leaders, prompting the Supreme Court to order its reconstruction. According to official data, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan

Following the incident, India had conveyed its serious concerns to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi over the repeated instances of similar incidents and atrocities against the members of the minority community. India had also called out the Pakistan at the United Nations, saying its agencies stood as "mute spectators" when a historic Hindu temple was targeted.

75L
No. of Hindus in Pakistan

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