Pakistan: 150 years old Hindu temple razed to make way for a commercial plaza.

Karachi, Sindh-

Shri Mari Mata Mandir, a 150 years old Hindu temple in Soldier Bazar, Karachi, Sindh was demolished at wee hours of night and all through the morning, under the watchful guard of a heavy police contingent. The temple was sold off for 70 millions, using forged documents, to a Muslim builder, with plans to raise a commercial complex in its place.

The plan to raze the entire temple barring the outer wall and the main gate (to avoid publicity and keep Hindus away from the site) was executed hurriedly in the dark of the night and a deliberate power cut, with the presence of heavy police force point to the fact of the demolition being illegal or unapproved officially.

The Hindu priest-family, appointed by the temple trust for the upkeep of the temple, informs that the Islamist land mafia of Pakistan has had their eyes on this temple from atleast 2005, if not more, and were making constant attempts to usurp the temple land in every means possible, including threatening & causing physical harm to the priest’s family. They also inform about non co-operation and non-provision of security from the local police, although the police station is adjacent to the temple.

The officials tried to continue the demolition discreetly, even as the scanty media coverage highlighted the issue worldwide. This tragic and shameful event was not surprising anywhere in the world, given the infamous track record of Islamic Pakistan in systematic wrecking of places of worship of their religious minorities, since its creation as a nation.

Disclaimer: Due to state restrictions in Pakistan, independent follow-ups on such incidents are challenging.

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