Work begins on first Hindu temple in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: A Hindu temple is being constructed in the federal capital for the first time in the country’s history.

A ceremony to mark the commencement of construction work on the temple in H-9/2 area of the capital was held on Tuesday. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Parliamentary Secretary on Human Rights Lal Chand Malhi performed the groundbreaking.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) had allotted a 20,000 square feet plot to Hindu Panchayat in 2017 for the purpose on the directives of the National Commission for Human Rights.

Construction work suffered delays owing to fulfillment of certain formalities, including the approval of the site map and other documents by the authorities concerned. The temple complex will include a cremation site and separate structures for other religious rituals.

The temple has been named Shri Krishna Mandir.

Speaking on the occasion, Lal Chand Malhi lamented that while India is obstructing Muslims’ access to mosques in occupied Kashmir, we are constructing Shri Krishna Mandir in Islamabad. He added it is the policy of the state and the Government of Pakistan to give rights to minorities residing here.

He appealed to the government to provide funds for the construction of the temple. Others present on the occasion were Hindu Panchayat’s Pritam Das, Mahesh Chaudhry, Ashok Kumar, and Chaman Lal.