ISLAMABAD: The issue related to the construction of a cremation centre in the capital was on Monday resolved as the city managers issued permission to the Hindu community to raise the boundary wall around the proposed site.

In July this year, after strong reaction from right-wing groups, who criticised the government for its intention to build a Hindu temple with government funding, the CDA all of a sudden stopped the community from constructing the boundary wall around the plot.

The four kanals at H-9/2 was allotted to the community in 2016 for the construction of a temple, cremation and community centres.

The CDA had cited “legal” reasons for stopping the construction of the boundary wall.

CDA official says issue regarding construction of temple and community centre will be discussed later

In its permission letter issued on Monday, the civic agency stated: “Permission to construct the boundary wall around cremation ground for Hindu community in H-9/2 is hereby accorded in accordance with clause 4.1.1 of Islamabad Capital Territory, Building Control Regulations 2020.”

It said the height of the boundary wall shall not exceed seven feet and that of the enclosure not less than three feet.

A senior officer of the CDA added: “Today we issued the letter to the Hindu community and now they are free to construct the boundary wall for the cremation centre.” He said at a later stage the issue regarding construction of a temple and community centre will be discussed.

Sources in the CDA said the civic agency has so far not received the building plans of the temple and the community centre.

“Today’s approval is meant for construction of the boundary wall around the cremation centre,” said the official.

There is no temple and cremation centre in Islamabad for the Hindu community. After lots of efforts by the community and on the direction of the Human Right Commission of Pakistan, the CDA in 2016 allotted the four kanals to the community.

In the past, there was a temple in Saidpur village but that was abandoned decades ago.

“The Hindu community members are the citizens of Pakistani but unfortunately so far we have failed to provide them a worship place in Islamabad. The issuance of the permission at least for the boundary wall of the cremation centre is a positive step,” said an official of the CDA.

The approval letter was collected by former president Islamabad Hindu Panchayat, Preetam Das.

A delegation of the Hindu Panchayat led by its president Mahesh Kumar had held a meeting with CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed last week and informed him that the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) had given a ruling for the construction of a crematorium in Islamabad.

As the Panchayat started constructing the boundary wall on the plot in June this year, some clerics mainly affiliated with Lal Masjid, JUI-F and Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadis objected to the move and termed the establishment of a temple in Islamabad and the government’s proposed financial grant un-Islamic.

At the same time, an application was filed in Islamabad High Court by a citizen against establishment of the cremation place and construction of the temple. The court referred the matter to the CII, which in October ruled that there was no constitutional or Sharia constraints to have a temple in Islamabad or any other place in the country.

The council referred to the Islamic traditions and Sharia as well as the Constitution and the Liaquat-Nehru Agreement 1950 and allowed the government to hand over the ancient temple as well as adjoining Dharamshala (community centre) in Saidpur to the Hindu community.

The CII decision stated that the Hindus like all other religious groups in the country had the constitutional right to have a place for their last rites according to their faith.

“Under this right the Hindu community in Islamabad can have a suitable place for cremation of their dead and perform last rites of the deceased according to religious instructions,” the CII decision said. The NOC by CDA was based on the CII ruling.

Meanwhile, PTI MNA and Parliamentary Secretary Human Rights Lal Chand Malhi lauded the issuance of the no-objection certificate (NOC) by the CDA for the boundary wall of the plot for crematorium.

“It is the legal and constitutional right of all citizens to observe their faith as per their belief,” Mr Malhi said, adding: “Minorities will enjoy equal rights in Pakistan as promised by Quaid-i-Azam.”

Special representative of the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi also hailed the decision and said rights of religious minorities in Pakistan had been granted in the Constitution.

“Nobody will be allowed to encroach upon the rights of others,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2020