A historical Hindu temple near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has been demolished and construction for a commercial complex has started at the site in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that was closed since 1947 when the original occupants migrated to India.
Officials from various administrative departments either denied they were aware of the existence of the Hindu temple or claimed the construction was happening according to the rules.
Claiming that there was a historical temple in the main Landi Kotal Bazaar, leading tribal journalist Ibrahim Shinwari, hailing from Landi Kotal, said, "The temple was located in the centre of the Landi Kotal Bazaar, which was closed in 1947 after the local Hindu families migrated to India. It was partially damaged by some clerics and seminarians in 1992 following the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in India."
Haroon Sarabdiyal of the Pakistan Hindu Mandir Management Committee insisted it was the responsibility of the district administration and relevant government departments to ensure the protection and rehabilitation of historical buildings of religious importance to non-Muslims.
The Dawn newspaper quoted Assistant Commissioner Landi Kotal, Muhammad Irshad, who expressed ignorance about the temple’s demolition and said there was no mention of the temple in the official land record of Khyber tribal district.
The tehsil municipal authorities have granted permission for commercial buildings or shops at all commercial and trade centres in tribal districts.
The municipal authorities admit they do not have authentic and organised revenue records in Khyber district.
"If the government fails to fulfil its obligations towards religious minorities, all their places of worship and other historical buildings will vanish soon," he said.
He added, "Many aged tribal elders would bear testimony to this fact that there was a temple in the main Landi Kotal Bazaar."
