PESHAWAR/KOHAT/KARAK: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Friday said his government would reconstruct a Hindu shrine damaged and torched by a mob in Teri area of Karak district last Wednesday.

He also issued necessary instructions to the relevant authorities for the purpose, said an official statement issued here.

A mob consisting of young and old people and children had badly damaged Hindu saint Shri Paramhans Ji Maharaj’s samadhi and set it ablaze drawing condemnation from rights activists and religious minorities.

The statement also said Dr Shoaib Suddle of the one-man commission on minority rights called on the chief minister to discuss matters about the shrine desecration.

PTI minority MNA Dr Ramesh Kumar and provincial chief secretary Dr Kazim Niaz were also present in the meeting.

The chief minister called the Hindu shrine attack highly condemnable and said his government was taking steps to bring culprits to justice.

He said a number of people had been arrested for vandalising the shrine.

CM says steps being taken to bring culprits to justice

Mr Mahmood said his government would ensure the protection of all holy places of minorities in the province and that no one would be allowed to take the law into their hands.

The statement said Dr Shoaib and MNA Ramesh expressed satisfaction with the steps taken by the government in that connection.

Also in the day, special assistant to the chief minister on minority affairs Wazirzada and aide of the chief minister on auqaf and religious affairs Zahoor Shakir revealed during a presser in Kohat that PC-I of the Karak shrine reconstruction and renovation had been prepared and the provincial government would use own funds to rebuild the place.

Accompanied by MPA Rohit Kumar, DIG of Kohat Region police Tayyab Hafeez Cheema, former JUI-F MNA Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz and representatives of religious minorities, CM aide Wazirzada said the shrine attack wasn’t preplanned and that a mob was mobilised in Teri area for the purpose.

He said the government acted swiftly after the shrine attack ensuring the arrest of ‘three accused and 43 suspects’ within 24 hours of the incident.

Mr Wazirzada said India should learn from Pakistan, which put those hurting the sentiments of religious minorities behind bars.

“In India, mosques are burnt and members of Sikh and Muslim minorities are killed but the government doesn’t feel any shame,” he said.

The chief minister’s aide said he and other government representatives had visited Karak along with the local elders, held negotiations with political and religious leaders, and solved the matter amicably.

He said a Sindh-based humanitarian organisation also visited the area and expressed ‘complete confidence’ in the government’s measures.

Mr Wazirzada said similar attacks had taken place in 1997 and 2013 but the culprits faced no action.

He said the PTI government believed in the protection of minorities and their worship places and was taking all possible measures for the purpose.

DIG Hafeez Cheema said more arrests would be made after the forensic examination of the shrine attack video.

He said the district administration had no prior intelligence report about the shrine attack.

Meanwhile, provincial president of PPP Minority Wing Naseeb Chand demanded the resignation of the chief minister’s special assistant on religious affairs over the Karak incident.

He said the country’s image was badly hurt by the Hindu shrine attack.

Former MNA Maulana Shah Abdul Aziz of JUI-F demanded the formation of a judicial commission to probe the incident.

He said a high-level inquiry into the attack was necessary to prove that the local Khattak community wasn’t involved in it and that they’re peace-loving people.

Also in the day, chief secretary Dr Kazim Niaz visited the shrine.

Leading a high-level delegation, he also met elders of the local peace committee.

The delegates included provincial police chief Dr Sanaullah Abbasi, minority MNA Ramaish Kumar, MPA Rohait Kumar and senior officials.

The chief secretary told reporters that all Pakistanis had condemned the Hindu shrine destruction.

He said the people of the shrine area were peaceful.

Dr Kazim said the provocative speeches of few people caused the incident.

He said the police had arrested more than 40 people, including the principal accused, and would make more arrests.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2021