ISLAMABAD: The provincial administration of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has decided to reconstruct a Hindu temple which was set on fire by a mob in Karak district on earlier this week, the province's chief minister, Mahmood Khan, announced while addressing a public ceremony in Peshawar on Friday.
The incident took place when the Hindu community in the area was trying to renovate and expand the building after procuring some land.
The mob, which was instigated by a local cleric, was said to be too large and could not be handled by the local administration.
On Thursday, it was announced by the prime minister's adviser on inter-faith harmony, Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi, that 31 individuals, including the local cleric, had been arrested in Karak for vandalizing the property.
The attack on the temple was condemned by rights activists and members of the minority Hindu community.
Pakistan's Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed also took notice of the incident and fixed a court hearing for January 5.
Pakistani provincial government says will rebuild Hindu temple destroyed by mob
https://arab.news/zew9r
Pakistani provincial government says will rebuild Hindu temple destroyed by mob
- The Hindu community in Karak district was renovating the facility when it was attacked and razed to the ground
- Authorities have already arrested about 30 people, including a local cleric, who vandalized the building
Curfew extended in Gilgit-Baltistan, probe ordered after deadly Khamenei protests
- At least 15 people were killed in clashes with law enforcement agencies over the weekend in Gilgit-Baltistan
- Government also announces a de-weaponization campaign, crackdown on hate speech and cybercrime in region
ISLAMABAD: The government in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region on Tuesday extended a curfew in Gilgit district and ordered a judicial probe into violent protests over the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes last week, an official said.
At least 15 people were killed in clashes with law enforcement agencies over the weekend in GB, where protesters torched and vandalized several buildings, including United Nations regional offices, an army-run school, software technology park and a local charity building.
The violence prompted regional authorities to impose curfew in Gilgit and Skardu districts on March 2-4 as officials urged people to stay indoors and cooperate with law enforcers, amid widespread anger in Pakistan, particularly among members of the Shiite minority, over Khamenei’s killing.
On Tuesday, the GB government convened to review the situation and announced the extension of curfew in Gilgit among a number of security measures as well as ordered the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the weekend violence in the region.
“The government has made it clear that the law will strictly take its course against elements involved in vandalism at government institutions, private properties and incidents of vandalism in Gilgit and Skardu and no kind of mischief will be tolerated,” Shabbir Mir, a GB government spokesperson, said in a statement.
“In view of the security situation, curfew will remain in force in Gilgit, while the decision to extend the curfew in Skardu will be taken keeping the ground realities and the changing situation in view.”
The statement did not specify how long the curfew will remain in place in Gilgit.
Besides the formation of the judicial commission to investigate the violent clashes, the government also decided to launch a large-scale de-weaponization campaign in the entire Gilgit district, for which relevant institutions have been directed to immediately complete all necessary arrangements, according to Mir.
In addition, a crackdown has been ordered on hate speech, spread of fake news and cybercrime.
“The aim of these decisions is to ensure the rule of law, protect the lives and property of citizens and crack down on miscreants,” he said. “Approval has also been given to immediately survey the affected infrastructure and start their restoration work on priority basis.”
Demonstrators in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi also stormed the US Consulate on Sunday, smashing windows and attempting to burn the building. Police responded with batons, tear gas, and gunfire, leaving 10 people dead and more than 50 injured.
Pakistani authorities have since beefed up security at US diplomatic missions across the country, including around the US consulate building in Peshawar, to avoid any further violence.
