KHYBER: The district administration and tehsil municipal administration (TMA) have locked horns over construction of a commercial building at the site of a temple in Landi Kotal bazaar.

Both sides express ignorance about any mention of Hindus’ worship place at the site in revenue record.

However, construction of the building was temporarily halted only two days before Eidul Fitr when the TMA authorities served notices on the builders and contractor, asking for documentary proof of the ownership of the disputed site.

Officials told Dawn that no proof of the ownership was produced to them.

Relevant officials of district administration and TMA with whom this scribe interacted to ascertain the raison d’etre behind the secret demolition of the temple and construction of a commercial building at the disputed site, tried to pass the buck to each other.

Work on plaza halted two days before Eid

They also accused each other of bypassing or ignoring the legal procedure for issuing of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for construction of a new building or repair of the old one in Landi Kotal bazaar.

The subordinate staff of the assistant commissioner (AC) of Landi Kotal, however, conceded during their conversation with Dawn that they had received an application from two locals -- Ismail Khan and Zabeehullah -- on March 22 for an NOC regarding repair of two dilapidated shops at Paagal Naach street of the bazaar.

“We duly forwarded the application to the TMA office for approval of NOC prior to checking revenue record about ownership of the site but did not receive any response from them,” they said.

However, they failed to respond to a query about how the construction of the commercial building had started when TMA had not responded to their request about the revenue record and spot visit by the relevant staff.

Officials said that the AC office could not issue an NOC until TMA gave its approval after checking of revenue record. They added that TMA was the sole approving authority for such activities.

On the other hand, they said that the application for grant of NOC was submitted to the AC office on a back date whereas they received the request for approval only on April 8 when the construction of the building was already started and any trace of the historic temple was eliminated.

Tehsil chairman Shah Khalid told Dawn that the two builders approached them after TMA received a request from the AC office regarding ascertaining of the revenue record. He said that the builders insisted that the disputed site was their joint property but they could not produce and documentary proof to that effect.

He said that TMA demanded of the AC office to hand it over the entire ‘file’ of the construction of new building as NOC was sought only for repair of two old shops. “We see and apprehend some under table deal as no proper regulations were followed with TMA being ignored in the initial application for grant of NOC,” he added.

Shopkeepers in Landi Kotal bazaar having shops adjacent to the disputed site confirmed the existence of an old temple, though in a dilapidated condition and closed since the migration of Hindus from the area at the time of partition of India.

Requesting anonymity, they said that the remaining structure of the old temple was demolished in the darkness of night to pave the way for construction of a plaza.

Local Christians also expressed reservations about the demolition of the temple and demanded of authorities to safeguard places of worship of minorities and take them into confidence about any change in the existing structure of such buildings.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2024