ISLAMABAD: Thirty-one people had been arrested after a Hindu temple was set on fire and demolished by a mob, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, special adviser to the prime minister on religious harmony, said on Thursday.
The temple’s destruction on Wednesday in the northwestern town of Karak drew condemnation from government officials, human rights activists and the minority Hindu community.
Local police told media they had detained dozens of people in overnight raids and searches were underway to arrest more people who had participated or provoked the mob to demolish the temple.
The attack happened after members of the Hindu community received permission from local authorities to renovate the temple. Witnesses told AP the mob was led by a local cleric and supporters of Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party. There has been no comment from the party so far.
“31 culprits including mastermind involved in attack at Hindu temple in Karak have been arrested,” Ashrafi said in a statement. “Elements involved in making attacks at worship places of minorities and threatening minorities will not be forgiven.”
“The Karak temple attack will be thoroughly probed as this instance maligned Pakistan in the world,” Ashrafi added.
Pakistan’s minister for religious affairs, Noorul Haq Qadri, called the attack on the temple “a conspiracy against sectarian harmony.” He took to Twitter Thursday, saying attacks on places of worship of minority religious groups are not allowed in Islam and “protection of religious freedom of minorities is our religious, constitutional, moral and national responsibility.”
Pakistan Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed also took notice of the incident and fixed a court hearing for January 5.
The incident comes weeks after the government allowed Hindu residents to build a new temple in Islamabad on the recommendation of a council of clerics.
Although Muslims and Hindus generally live peacefully together in Pakistan, there have been other attacks on Hindu temples in recent years. Most of Pakistan’s minority Hindus migrated to India in 1947 when India was divided by Britain’s government.
31 arrested for demolishing Hindu temple — Pakistani religious harmony adviser
https://arab.news/8zsgn
31 arrested for demolishing Hindu temple — Pakistani religious harmony adviser
- Those involved in attacking and threatening minorities will not be “forgiven,” Tahir Ashrafi says
- Pakistan’s minister for religious affairs called the attack a “conspiracy against sectarian harmony”
Pakistan urges pilgrims to complete Saudi biometrics as Hajj preparations gain pace
- Government warns pilgrims biometric verification is required for Hajj visas
- Step follows tighter oversight after last year’s Hajj travel disruptions
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government on Friday urged aspiring pilgrims to complete mandatory Saudi biometric verification for Hajj visas, as preparations for the 2026 pilgrimage gather pace following stricter oversight of the Hajj process.
The announcement comes only a day after Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousuf said regulations for private Hajj operators had been tightened, reducing their quota following widespread complaints last year, when tens of thousands of pilgrims were unable to travel under the private Hajj scheme.
“Saudi biometric verification is mandatory for the issuance of Hajj visas,” the Ministry of Religious Affairs said in a statement, urging pilgrims to complete the process promptly to avoid delays.
“Hajj pilgrims should complete their biometric verification at home using the ‘Saudi Visa Bio’ app as soon as possible,” it added.
The statement said the pilgrims who were unable to complete biometric verification through the mobile application should visit designated Saudi Tasheer centers before Feb. 8, adding that details of the centers were available on Pakistan’s official Hajj mobile application.
Pakistan has been steadily implementing digital and procedural requirements for pilgrims ahead of Hajj 2026, including mandatory training sessions, biometric checks and greater use of mobile applications, as part of efforts to reduce mismanagement.
Saudi Arabia has allocated Pakistan a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2026, with the majority of seats reserved under the government scheme and the remainder allocated to private tour operators.
