PESHAWAR, Nov 30: Representatives of the minority groups from across the province have demanded the ownership rights and protection of their worship places in the country.

They urged the authorities of the Peshawar Cantonment Board to withdraw the decision about the proposed demolition of two residential compounds and a 140-year old temple of the Balmeek community in the cantonment area.

Various minority groups including Hindus, Christians and Sikhs, from Nowshera, Kohat, Bannu and Risalpur held a protest meeting here at Kali Bari, Saddar, on Sunday to express solidarity with the Balmeek community and lodge their protest against the proposed evacuation plan of the two residential colonies.

MNA (Minority) Engineer Giyan Singh of the PML-Q also attended the protest meeting and assured the Balmeeks that their rights would be protected.

He said that the temple issue would be discussed with the concerned ministry’s officials.

The meeting adopted two resolutions, asking the government to provide ownership rights to minority population and ensure protection of their worship places in the country.

Speaking at the meeting, the chief of the Schedule Caste of the Kohat district, Nawab Chand, criticized the authorities of the Peshawar Cantonment Board regarding the decision about the proposed demolition of the temple to construct a commercial plaza.

He said that the PCB officials had no record to claim the ownership of the 84 Ahata, Tipu Sultan Road. He complained that the cantonment officials in Kohat had also placed a ban on the construction of a boundary wall of a Hindu temple.

The member of the Nowshera district council, Lajwanti, said that minorities were being targeted all over the country and being deprived of their basic rights. She said that minorities would resist the PCB decision and never allow it to demolish the temple.

A representative of Christian community, Pervez Iqbal, said that the temple at Kali Bari was constructed in 1861-70 by the Upper Caste of Hindu community. In 1930, he said, the Mandir was reconstructed by Rai Bahadur Mahar Chand Khanna, Ishar Das, Salwan Saeth and Shankar Das to fulfil the needs of the community.

Before the creation of Pakistan, he claimed, the property was donated to the elders of the present dwellers.