1,400 Hindu sites in dire need of govt protection: Pakistan Hindu Council

E-Paper | October 29, 2026

1,400 Hindu sites in dire need of govt protection: Pakistan Hindu Council

Dawn.com Published November 22, 2014

KARACHI: Patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council and Member National Assembly Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani has strongly condemned the torching of Hanuman temple in Tando Mohammad Khan, according to a press release by the Pakistan Hindu Council.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Pakistan Hindu Council requested the government for provision of security of Hindu worship places at national level, adding that around 1,400 Hindus religious sites across the country were in dire need of protection by the government.

Dr Ramesh furthermore regretted the burning of Holy Books Geeta and Ramayan during the tragic incident.

He emphasised that if the Supreme Court's orders regarding protection of minorities' rights were strongly implemented, then such incidents could be avoided.

He further questioned as to why innocent minorities were left at the mercy of anarchists.

Earlier on Friday, a small Hindu temple of Hanuman in Tando Mohammad Khan town was torched, sparking protests by the enraged Hindu community and nationalist parties.

Take a look: Hindu temple torched in Tando Mohammad Khan

Pakistan

Amid internal doubts, PTI affirms Sohail Afridi 'remains KP chief minister'

ATC sentences Imaan, Hadi to 10 years in security breach case

'Not related to defence': Govt responds to Fazl's remarks about Makkah pact countries' meeting in Tehran

Kanderp india

Nov 22, 2014 03:48pm

Respect for each other religion is very important for a country to grow stable , these malise practice of condeming religious sites will further weak pakistan

Recommend 0

Fawad

Nov 22, 2014 03:50pm

no blasphemy laws when hindu religious books and temples are burned? Where are fellows who claim us to be very tolerant society !

Recommend 0

sap india

Nov 22, 2014 03:51pm

And they talk about minorities in India ...what a hypocrisy

Recommend 0

aam aadmiA

Nov 22, 2014 04:15pm

there are no comments,,,, as usual ,,,,,,,,,,

Recommend 0

Sunil

Nov 22, 2014 04:17pm

Government should be for the people, who are elected to protect them, regardless of religion, creed, or nationality. But in Pakistan, government itself is vulnerable to attacks from fiery radical mullahs, who stimulate religious mobs.

Recommend 0

Akbaruddin

Nov 22, 2014 04:20pm

History may be accurate, but archaeology is precise. You can judge a country's greatness by their concern for it's historical sites.

Recommend 0

indianWorldCitizen

Nov 22, 2014 04:38pm

One babri masjid incident and look at the outrage in the muslim world! And so many hindu temples periocicLly destroyed and torched in Pakistan, and not a word of protest from non muslims or muslims in pakistan. And no reactions of any violent nature in India either! So who is the more tolerant, non volent society? Hindus?? Or Muslims??

Recommend 0

Sher Jatt

Nov 22, 2014 04:47pm

Religious places that are not frequented fall in disrepair and eventual demise. Religious buildings serve no benefit to the locals and that is why they do not visit them and that is why they are no concern of the state. The State should only provide the needs of the people.

Recommend 0

Dr Carla

Nov 22, 2014 05:12pm

Simple questions to Pakistani friends. How many times a hindu became president or prime minister since Pakistan independence? How many times a hindu became head of military or navy or airforce chiefs since Pakistan independence? How many hindus selected for Pakistani cricket team since Pakistan independence? How many hindus are in Pakistan's top actors list? How many hindus got top Pakistani awards since Pakistan independence? How many hindu universities and medical colleges are there in Pakistan ? What are the special protection laws for hindus in Pakistani constitution? I read regular basis hindu married to a muslim and converted to Islam, How many time it happened other way around in Pakistan ? I can answer proudly all of those question and many other if you ask me how many times it happened to muslims in India. Just imagine, in hindu majority country, when muslims locked hindus in Godra train and burnt them alive, hindus reacted only in Gujarath and all of those who reacted are facing life sentences.

Recommend 0

Sudhanshu Swami

Nov 22, 2014 05:22pm

@indianWorldCitizen and not forgetting the facts that Babri structure was not in use for more than 40 years, no namaz was offered, nobody cared that. It was built on Temple which was proved by ASI in sixties. and also so called extremist Hindus offered another land to Muslims. And Even after the destruction nobody was proud of destruction.

Recommend 0

Nov 22, 2014 05:45pm

Well P akistan was carved out of India as a land for Muslims. Very unfortunate that minorities in that section of land who had lived for thousands of years have no place now. It is very hard for a country to progress, develop when state policies based on religion.

Recommend 0

Harmony

Nov 22, 2014 05:54pm

@Dr Carla - I can't believe you (a doctor) asking "how many times this or how many times that" where Hindus are barely 3% of the population and yet many are on prominent positions. Even with such little population, the likes of you are oblivious to the fact that there are yet 1400 Hindu sites here. So enlighten yourself first Dr. Sahib!!!

Recommend 0

raheel

Nov 22, 2014 05:56pm

@Dr Carla look at the proportion of population they are here in pakistan- in pakistan there is no planned / organized hate speech ( like RSS and their ilk) and proffering of options of convert or go to india i have served in sindh - hindus have established and settled business there in hala and sukkur - and people dont discriminate against them anymore than they do against other minorities - contested interests take on religious color - at the root lie hard core material interests / disputes - poor of india are the same as poor and disenfranchised of pakistan - the devision is more along the lines of ambaani 's Antilla and dharaavi or islamabad and kachhi abbadis right on its fringes people on both sides of the divide must know this - and work on alliances tht are more realistic and not myopic :)

Recommend 0

ghanshyam

Nov 22, 2014 06:03pm

: : : but how did 40% reach 3% ?@Harmony

Recommend 0

zak the supreme

Nov 22, 2014 06:06pm

lol

Recommend 0

Sanu

Nov 22, 2014 06:08pm

In this topic also my dear paki friend will defend as usual.but I feel sorry for my Hindu brothers and sisters there.Oh My God

Recommend 0

zak the supreme

Nov 22, 2014 06:09pm

@Harmony look at the decline of the population since 1947, guess the reason. and look at the counterpart in INDIA,

Recommend 0

Nov 22, 2014 06:19pm

@raheel Sir, the entire area what is called Afghanistan and Pakistan was Hindu/Buddhist at one time. These sites are ancient. That fact that these monuments are in neglect and the population is reduced to less than 3% (because Ahmedis are also included in 3%) is a testament to the atrocities the occupiers and the converts put on them. So you statement does not mean anything.

Recommend 0

Abbas

Nov 22, 2014 06:28pm

Our social, moral and cultural support is with my pakistani non Muslim friends. Protect, renovate and practice ur religion. Middle class people like me will support you. I wish our politicians should make a stern law to protect you through thick and thin.

Recommend 0

Sudhanshu Swami

Nov 22, 2014 06:34pm

@raheel please give some references of RSS hate speeches.

Recommend 0

Global Indian

Nov 22, 2014 06:37pm

I agree with @ Fawad, regarding where is blasphemy case in this episode , when a religious text as sacred as " Bhagvad Gita" is burnt and a temple is Charred to ashes. Now I as a Hindu dont feel offended to the level at the fact that some body has burnt a Gita and he should be hanged or stoned to death or burn in a brick kiln. As burning the book does not diminish the faith in that book . an ignorant man can think so but not the one who has read Gita. Regarding burning down a temple, it is sad that 97% Muslims can't stand for the 3% Hindus or Christians . But some how I feel that majority among the 97% also do not support such acts and equally feel pained by them.. ...I as n Indian can see debate among Pakistanis starting and Liberal Muslims are getting more vocal day by day ...and surely a day will come in near future when Pakistan will be a an example of religious tolerance ! God Speed to all right thinking people in Pakistan and around the world.

Recommend 0

nasiroski

Nov 22, 2014 06:39pm

The current regime of politicians in Pakistan from PPP or PMLn are no different from N. Modi playing on religious zeal for their vote bank not thinking about long term and the evil affects it will have on the masses and society, exteremely pathetic situation in Pakistan.

Recommend 0

Harmony

Nov 22, 2014 06:41pm

@zak the supreme - That is a separate point of discussion. The point now is the one who is going to be elected as PM etc etc should be out of out of 3% or 97%?

Recommend 0

Indian

Nov 22, 2014 07:14pm

@Harmony "Hindus are barely 3% of the population and yet many are on prominent positions." Hindus are on prominent positions in Pakistan?? HA HA HA! What a joke! Would you please post a list of such Hindus in Pakistan? Let everyone know who they are!

Recommend 0

Shailesh

Nov 22, 2014 07:24pm

@Sher Jatt Your argument is flawed. Can we reclaim old kabristans ?

Recommend 0

Rachit

Nov 22, 2014 07:28pm

'When you do not speak out against injustice of the oppressor, the next victim is always you.' Beware Pakistanis, these people who are today killing your Hindus, shall one day kill your Muslims too, on some pretext- Hanafi, Shia, Barelvi. And that day you shall be helpless, because all those who could have helped you would have been dead.

Recommend 0

Chaudhry

Nov 22, 2014 07:30pm

@Harmony What are you saying ? These hindu sites were built before independence.....Pakistan has a history that goes beyond the day muslims called it their motherland.....hindus lived there before they were driven out......so naturally they built places of worship there....I cant believe that I am having to explain this to you......read some high school history books to enlighten yourself....

Recommend 0

Fawad

Nov 22, 2014 08:11pm

For being head of state law forbids that anyone other than muslim can't be head of state. Regarding 3% population and 1400 temples, population declined due to conversion and oppression, so temples being immobile properties will tay for some mre time and decline in number too. Sad but true.

Recommend 0

Dr.Malaria Prasad

Nov 22, 2014 09:11pm

@Harmony What a joke ? How come it came down from 20% in 1947 to 3 % in 2014 ?

Recommend 0

bhassanpk@yahoo.com

Nov 22, 2014 09:47pm

@Global Indian Respect your comments and wholeheartedly agreed with you, and wanted to let you know that most Pakistanis are tolerant, open minded and respectful to other religion beliefs and practices and I am sure majority of hindus are in same category as well...I hope people like you should stand up aginst those extremist who preach hatered against other religions.. Peace and Harmony between both countires and nothing else.. Wajahat (San Jose USA)

Recommend 0

Imran

Nov 22, 2014 10:07pm

@ghanshyam . Hindus were never 40% of Pakistani population. In 1947 the proportion was indeed much higher than todays 3% simply because Bangladesh was East Pakistan and had a sizable Hindu populace. With separation in 1971 obviously the proportion of Hindus in Pakistan dropped very sharply because East Pakistan went out of the equation. Its simple numbers game and even a cursory look at the census figures will show you what's going on.

Recommend 0

guest1

Nov 22, 2014 10:31pm

@Dr Carla .......because percentage of hindus in pakistan is less than 2%.

Recommend 0

PRamod USA

Nov 22, 2014 10:47pm

@raheel Lip service is no service. Check How many Muslim gets converted forcefully in India and how many non muslims in Pakistan. How many Muslims migrate to Pakistan and how many hindu migrate to India. you ll get most of the answer if you ll open your eyes and see.

Recommend 0

Harmony

Nov 22, 2014 11:50pm

@Chaudhry - Did I say they were built by us or they are not historical? I am simply stating the fact that they exist. You guys get surprised if there is even a place with a Hindu name, so you wouldn't have believed. "enlighten yourself" not jump to conclusions.

Recommend 0

Sunshine (USA)

Nov 23, 2014 06:44am

@ Abbas...... Beautiful words. Wish the whole nation was as large hearted and open minded like you. Best wishes always to you.

Recommend 0

someone

Nov 23, 2014 07:05am

Despite all this, Pakistan still has to find a hindu, sikh or Christian terrorist.

Recommend 0