CM Mahmood Khan says KP govt to reconstruct Hindu temple

PESHAWAR/KARAK: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Friday announced that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government would reconstruct the Hindu saint’s shrine set on fire and demolished by a mob in Teri area of Karak district two days ago.

An official handout said the chief minister had issued necessary instructions to the quarters concerned in this regard. Meanwhile, head of the one-man Commission on Minorities Rights Shoaib Suddle, who is a retired police officer, met the chief minister to discuss the Karak incident. Member National Assembly Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, who is patron of the Pakistan Hindu Council and belongs to the ruling PTI, and KP Chief Secretary Kazim Niaz were also present during the meeting.

Mahmood Khan termed the incident highly condemnable and said the KP government was taking steps to bring the people involved in the incident to justice. The chief minister added that a number of people involved in the incident had been arrested.

He reiterated the resolve that the provincial government would ensure the protection of all the holy places of minorities in the province and no one would be allowed to take law into his hands.

Shoaib Suddle and Ramesh Kumar Vankwani expressed satisfaction at the steps taken by the provincial government so far in this connection. Our correspondent adds from Karak: KP Chief Secretary Kazim Niaz announced the reconstruction of the Samadhi (shrine) of Hindu saint Shri Paramhans Jee Maharaj which had been set on fire by the local people two days ago. He said the government would bear the reconstruction cost.

He was talking to media persons as he visited the site of the incident with a delegation which held a meeting with the elders of the local peace committee.

Inspector General of Police Sanaullah Abbasi, minorities Member National Assembly Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, MPA Ravi Kumar and other officials were in the delegation which visited the shrine of the Hindu saint.

The chief secretary said all countrymen had condemned the torching of the shrine. He added that the local people were peaceful and the incident had happened due to provocative speeches of a few persons.

Kazim Niaz said the administration had arrested over 40 people along with the main accused and more arrests were underway. He said the government would restore the shrine to its original shape as soon as possible.

IGP Sanaullah Abbasi said about 45 accused, including the main one, had been arrested and others would be nabbed soon. He said that full security would be provided to the places of worship of all religions and the rights of the minorities would be safeguarded.

Special Assistant to Chief Minister Muhammad Zahoor said the local people resented the sad incident as it had given a negative message to the world about Pakistan. He said the government would provide complete security and friendly environment to the Hindu fraternity.

MPA Ravi Kumar said he was confident that the shrine would be restored soon. He added that the quick response by the government, Supreme Court and district administration to the incident and its condemnation had increased the confidence of the Hindu community.

Meanwhile, Maulvi Mohammad Sharif and few others nominated in the first information report (FIR) in the attack on the shrine surrendered to the police with the efforts of Karak lawmaker Mian Nisar Gul Kakakhel, who belongs to the JUI-F, and his party colleague, former MNA Shah Abdul Aziz, to avoid a clash between the government and the local people.

Mian Nisar Gul Kakakhel told the media that they had respect for the sacred places of the followers of all religions and had condemned the incident.

He elaborated that the local people were not against the shrine of the Hindu saint and had accepted the decision of the apex court but wanted that its premises should be restricted to the area demarcated in the light of the Supreme Court decision.

Shah Abdul Aziz appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan to conduct a judicial enquiry into the matter to bring reality to the limelight. He added that a few miscreants were in the ranks of people who took advantage of the situation to set on fire the shrine of Hindu saint.

The former lawmaker expressed sympathy with the Hindu community and said that the Khattak tribe inhabiting Karak district condemned the incident. Meanwhile, the chief minister’s advisor on minorities Wazirzada, who belongs to the Kalash community in Chitral, also visited the shrine along with MPA Ravi Kumar and certain Hindu community notables and met officials and local elders.

A number of locals in Teri village maintained that outsiders were in majority and in the forefront in attacking the shrine. They said they were pained by the attack.