CJP to hear Karak temple attack case on Tuesday; 31 arrested

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed will hear a suo motu case on the burning of a Hindu temple in Karak on January 5 of next year.
The CJP, while issuing the notice, also directed the chairman of the minority rights commission, inspector-general of police and chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to submit a report on the incident by January 4.
Separately, the CJP also met Pakistan Hindu Council Patron-in-Chief Dr Ramesh Kumar. During the meeting, Kumar informed the CJP of the burning of the shrine of a Hindu saint by an angry mob in Karak district of KP. The CJP had deplored the incident in the meeting with Kumar.
Meanwhile, at least 31 people were arrested on Thursday over vandalism charges and 350 nominated in an FIR registered after enraged protesters set on fire a Hindu temple over its expansion in the Teri area in KP’s Karak.
Karak DPO Irfanullah confirmed that JUI-F district leader Maulana Mirza Aqeem has also been nominated in the FIR.
The KP government spokesperson Kamran Bangash has said that the government will rebuild the Hindu temple. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan and the provincial chief executive had condemned the incident. He also said that the Karak DPO and deputy commissioner have been directed to investigate the matter and submit a report. Bangash stressed that the culprits will be punished and rights of minorities protected.
Confirming the arrests, Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Tahir Ashrafi emphasised that it is the state’s responsibility to protect the rights of non-Muslims living in the country. “Pakistan’s Ulema cannot support any such form of terrorism,” he said, adding that no one is allowed to desecrate the sanctities of believers of any religion.
On Wednesday, a highly-charged mob vandalised and set ablaze a historic Hindu temple in KP’s Karak district.
The temple in Karak’s Terri area was considered a site of pilgrimage for Hindu community due to its importance as a Yogi Astan. However, local residents were resentful due to the ongoing renovation work in the temple and they attacked the building, demolished it and then set it ablaze.
Police and local authorities were unable to prevent the incident due to the large number of people involved. The historic temple became non-functional after the Partition when all local Hindu families migrated to India but four years ago it was handed over to the Hindu community by the Supreme Court and ever since it was a site for pilgrimage for the community from all over the country especially from Sindh who paid a weekly visit to the site every Thursday.
Local clerics were reportedly not happy over the decision and repeatedly demanded the closure of the temple.
Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari, while condemning the incident, urged the KP government to ensure the culprits are brought to justice.
“MOHR [Ministry of Human Rights] is also moving on this. We as a govt have a responsibility to ensure safety & security of all our citizens & their places of worship,” she wrote on her official Twitter handle.