CDPHR Condemns Illegal Construction of Coffee House by Pak Army on Sharda Temple Premises
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 6th Jan. The Centre for Democracy, Pluralism, and Human Rights (CDPHR) strongly condemned the recent series of assaults on Hindu places of worship in Pakistan. Illegal encroachment on land belonging to the Sharda Peeth Mandir near the Line of Control (LOC) and the subsequent construction of a coffee house on this is the latest distressing instance of targeted hate crimes against minorities.
Sharda Peeth being a prominent Maha Shakti Peeths has immense religious and cultural significance for Hindus. Despite a standing Pakistan Occupied Kashmir’s Supreme Court order for its protection, encroachment at Sharda Peeth Mandir is indicative of state-sponsored hate crimes against religious minorities in Pakistan.
Earlier, a court-mandated demolition of another Shakti Peeth namely the Hinglaj Mata Mandir in Sindh province was carried out. Further, during the demolition of the historic ‘Mari Mata Temple’ in Karachi and a brutal attack with rocket launchers on another temple in Sindh’s Kashmore, the state remained a mute spectator. This indicates a ‘culture of intolerance’ towards the religious places and practices of minorities, the CDPHR said.
Pakistan state is also complicit in the human rights violations against minorities, particularly Hindus and Sikhs. The complicity of this predatory state and an apathetic judiciary have resulted in countless minorities, mostly Hindu women and underage girls, being forcibly abducted and converted to Islam every year, as reported by their own Human Rights Commission, which puts the number at over 1000 annually, it added.
Additionally, blasphemy laws, exploited as legal instruments for harassment and property seizure of non-Muslims, coupled with escalating Islamic extremism, have turned Pakistan into a dangerous place for religious minorities.These disgraceful acts of rights violations along with temple desecration have deeply hurt the sentiments of the global Hindu community, while Hindus within Pakistan live in constant fear of violence and insecurity.
The CDPHR called upon the Government of Pakistan to stop these acts of desecration of Hindu temples and rebuild the desecrated temples without any delay. Furthermore, we urge the Indian government and UNESCO to address this matter of illegal encroachment on Sharda temple premises with the relevant Pakistani authorities through appropriate diplomatic channels, emphasizing the urgent need for the removal of the illegally erected coffee house.
