According to the Human Rights activists, attacks on minorities and their places of worships have increased in Pakistan since the government is using this as a diversionary tactic to cool public anger against the current dispensation and the army. On Wednesday, an angry mob instigated by a Muslim cleric had demolished a Hindu temple in the Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The video of this incident had gone viral on social media.
Amjad Ayub Mirza, a human rights activist from PoK, has urged the Indian government to summon Pakistan High commissioner to the foreign office and demand an answer to “how such vandalism was permitted”. He also added that, “This was not a work of one or two hours. I want to ask where the police or the security forces were when this vandalism happened. Pakistan which is trying hard to remove itself from the FATF grey list, should in fact be put in the Black List,” he said adding that in Pakistan “anti-minority and anti-India sentiments” are regularly fuelled to hide government’s failures. The activist also revealed that “no minority communities are safe in Pakistan as they cannot even go to temples safely.”
Mirza said, “The number of vandalism incidents is increasing in Pakistan especially as the power of Imran Khan is diminishing and the anger of the people against the army is increasing. This has led to the minorities being targeted. After Sindh, the incident in Khyber Pakhtunkwa has once again revealed that no minority religion is safe in Pakistan.” The vandalising act against the Hindu community has been globally condemned.
Mubashir Zaidi, a journalist based in Karachi tweeted, “#Breaking.. A mob led by local clerics destroyed Hindu temple in Karak district of KP. Hindus obtained permission from the administration to extend the temple but local clerics arranged a mob to destroy the temple. Police & administration remained silent spectators.”
Shama Junejo, a London-based Human Rights activist tweeted, “this is new Pakistan! A Hindu temple was destroyed today in Karak, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, governed by PTI govt. Police or forces didn’t stop the mob because they were chanting Allah-o-Akbar. A shameful day, beyond condemnation indeed”
