The ‘Khyber Temple’, a historical Hindu temple near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was demolished earlier this year to make way for a commercial complex. According to a report by news agency PTI, the construction for a commercial complex has started at the site in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The temple has been closed since 1947 after the original occupants migrated to India.
The temple is located in the border town of Landi Kotal Bazaar in the Khyber district. It was demolished and construction started at the site about 10-15 days ago, the news agency said. It also said that the temple was vanishing brick by brick over the years.
Pakistan administration denied they were aware of the existence of the Hindu temple and claimed that the construction was being done in accordance with the rules.
Tribal journalist Ibrahim Shinwari, who hails from Landi Kotal, claims that there was indeed a historical temple in the main Landi Kotal Bazaar. “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,” Shinwari was quoted as saying by the news agency.
However, several Pakistani officials speaking to the Dawn expressed ignorance and denied the existence of any such temple.
“The entire land in Landi Kotal Bazaar was owned by the state,” Assistant Commissioner Landi Kotal, Muhammad Irshad was quoted as saying. The report said he expressed ignorance when asked about the temple’s demolition.
The official maintained that a ‘no objection certificate’ has been issued to the builder for the renovation and repair of some old shops in Landi Kotal Bazar.
The tehsil municipal authorities have granted permission for the commercial buildings or shops at all commercial and trade centres in tribal districts.
Tehsil Municipal Officer (TMO) Shahbaz Khan said that the local government was authorised to give the go-ahead signal for the construction of all commercial structures in the area only after their maps or drawings were approved and the requisite fees were deposited.
The Municipal authorities admit that they do not have authentic and organised revenue records in Khyber district.
Abdus Samad, the former TMO during whose tenure the deal for the construction of a commercial building was struck, expressed complete ignorance about any such orders issued by his office.
Landi Kotal patwari Jamal Afridi claimed he was not aware of the construction activity at the temple’s site. He added that the revenue records had no mention of a mandir at that site.
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.
Shinwari questioned the claims of the district administration at Khyber and the municipal authorities having no official land record of the temple.
He recalled that as a child he heard many stories about the temple from his forefathers.
“There is no doubt in it that there was a temple named ‘Khyber Temple’ in Landi Kotal,” he said.
“Many aged tribal elders would bear testimony to this fact that there was a temple in main Landi Kotal Bazaar. It is the responsibility of the auqaf department to maintain and preserve historical non-Muslim places of worship, but the department had no office or employees in the Khyber tribal district,” he further added, questioning the claims of the district administration at Khyber and the municipal authorities having no official land record of the temple.
Haroon Sarabdiyal of the Pakistan Hindu Mandir Management Committee insisted that 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 archaeology and museums department, police, culture department, and local government were bound by the 2016 antiquity law to protect such sites, including places of worship,” he said.
Sarabdiyal suggested that the places, which were either not used by minorities or in a dilapidated condition, could be utilised for any social welfare activity to the collective benefit of the local communities rather than demolishing it and constructing something new.
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