Century-old Hindu temple demolished in Pakistan's Punjab, minority bodies seek action
An over century-old Hindu temple in Pakistan's Punjab province has been demolished, with minority groups and local residents alleging that its land was sought to be incorporated into an adjoining madrassa, while the government has maintained that the old structure collapsed due to torrential rains.
The temple, estimated to be around 100 to 125 years old, stood on approximately 1,000 square metres of land in Siraj village of Narowal, around 130 km from Lahore.
According to local residents, minority organisations and a political party, the temple was demolished on August 21 by a group of religious zealots allegedly belonging to the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a banned far-right Islamic party.
The Pakistan Masiha Millat Party (PMMP) has urged the Punjab government to take action against those responsible and ensure that the temple is reconstructed.
PMMP chairman Aslam Parvez Sahotra told PTI that he met Punjab Additional Home Secretary on August 28 and submitted a written application seeking action against those allegedly involved in the demolition as well as officials accused of failing to protect the site.
Sahotra alleged that metal fittings from the temple's shikhar, bricks and other material were removed from the site after the structure was demolished.
He said the land adjoining the temple had earlier been leased by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) for a madrassa. The lease was subsequently cancelled after rent allegedly remained unpaid for several years and the property was not used for the purpose for which it had been allotted, he said.
Sahotra further alleged that portions of the property were later occupied illegally by several people.
Hindu community leader Rattan Lal also condemned the demolition and urged the government to order restoration of the temple.
"The district administration and the ETPB failed to take adequate measures to protect the site or remove the alleged occupants, ultimately allowing the temple to be demolished," Lal said.
He called for action against those found responsible and urged authorities to protect Hindu temples, Sikh gurdwaras and Christian churches, along with their adjoining properties, across Punjab.
However, ETPB senior official Rana Iftikhar said the temple collapsed due to torrential rains.
"The temple carries no name in our record books. However, it is a very old one... more than 100 to 125 years old," he told PTI.
Iftikhar said the land adjoining the temple had been leased for establishing a seminary but stressed that the temple land itself had not been leased to anyone.
"The temple's land is not given to anyone for lease," he said, adding that senior ETPB officials would decide whether the structure should be restored.
Sahotra, meanwhile, referred to a revenue department report identifying several individuals as illegal occupants of the temple's quarters and other parts of the property.
He also cited an order issued by the ETPB's deputy administrator in Sialkot on January 29, 2026, cancelling the seminary's lease rights and directing the eviction of alleged illegal occupants and sealing of the property.
"This order was not implemented," Sahotra alleged.
He also referred to an April 11 report attributed to the DSP Narowal, which he said showed that local police were aware of security concerns surrounding the temple and the possibility of damage to it.
Lal, who is a member of the Narowal District Peace Committee and the Pak Dharam Astan Hindu Committee, said members of the Hindu community were now hesitant to visit the site.
"We are even afraid to visit the site because of the madrassa that continues to operate on its premises," he said.
Arya, another community representative, said decades of conflict between Pakistan and India, the Islamisation policies of the 1980s and the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid in India had contributed to a sense of insecurity among local Hindus.
"Preserving Hindu heritage can improve the image of Pakistan and attract tourism," Arya said.