Clerics, lawyers pile up pressure against construction of Hindu temple in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Days after the ground breaking ceremony at the land allocated for construction of a Hindu temple in Pakistan's capital, religious organisations have hyped up the pressure on the government and the capital's construction authority, prompting the authorities to stop construction work.

The first Hindu temple for Hindu minorities in Islamabad was recently allocated a land area of at least 4 kanals in Sector H-9/3 in Islamabad along with an additional fund of Rs 100 million, approved and released immediately by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

However, the decision did not go well with the religious organisations, who were quick to raise serious concerns over the construction of the temple in the capital, calling it against the norms and teachings of Islam.

In a fatwa against the construction of the temple, religious group 'Jamia Asharfia', an organisation comprising of leaders from different schools of thoughts of Islam, declared the construction of Hindu temple in Islamabad by the Iman Khan government against the Shariah.

"In a state, formed on the principles of Islam, preserving, maintaining and looking after the already present religious sites of other religions is correct as it provides them freedom to perform their religious rituals. However, construction of a new worship place of non-Muslims is not acceptable as per the Islamic Shariah," read the fatwa.

Another religious organization has issued a statement, saying that allocation and construction of a Hindu temple in Islamabad is a clear violation of the capital's master plan. (IANS) 

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