Over 100-Year-Old Hindu Temple In Pakistan Attacked Ahead Of Holi

As per the police complaint, the incident occurred at the Purana Qila area when around 15 people stormed the temple at about 7.30 p.m. on Saturday and damaged the main door besides another door at the upper storey and the staircase.

Women walk past a Hindu temple, that was vandalized by a group of assailants, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, March 29, 2021. Assailants in Pakistan damaged the nearly century-old Hindu temple in the garrison city of Rawalpindi before fleeing the scene. The vandals damaged the door and the stairs of the temple in the attack, which took place on Saturday night, police said. | PTI

In yet another attack on a Hindu shrine in Pakistan, an over 100-year-old Hindu temple undergoing renovation in Rawalpindi was attacked by a group of unidentified people ahead of the festival of Holi.

As per the police complaint, the incident occurred at the Purana Qila area when around 15 people stormed the temple at about 7.30 p.m. on Saturday and damaged the main door besides another door at the upper storey and the staircase.

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Syed Raza Abbas Zaidi, the security officer of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), Northern Zone, lodged an FIR at Rawalpindi’s Banni Police Station, saying that the construction and renovation work on the temple had been going on for the last month, PTI reported as saying.

Stating some encroachments in front of the temple were removed on March 24, the security officer sought legal action against those responsible.

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Om Prakash, the temple’s administrator, too confirmed the incident stating the police personnel reached the spot as soon as the information was received and brought the situation under control, adding they have been deployed for security.

The renovation work was started after all encroachments surrounding the temple were removed. This as the encroachment mafia had over a long time earlier occupied the temple’s surrounding.