Lahore, Aug 31: An over century old Hindu temple has been demolished reportedly to include its land in a madrassa in Punjab province of Pakistan, officials and minority bodies said on Monday.
Local people, minority bodies and a political party said a group of religious zealots demolished the temple to include its land in an adjacent seminary, while the government claimed that the old temple collapsed due to torrential rains.
Occupying approximately 1,000 sq metres of land, the 100-125-year-old temple was located in Siraj village of Narowal, some 130 kms from Lahore.
The people who demolished the temple on August 21 reportedly belonged 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 involved in the demolition of the temple and ensure its reconstruction.
PMMP chairman Aslam Parvez Sahotra told PTI that he met the Additional Home Secretary Punjab on August 28 and submitted a written application seeking action against the alleged perpetrators and officials accused of failing to protect the temple.
He alleged that the temple shikhar’s metal fittings, other material and bricks from the demolished structure were subsequently removed from the site.
The land adjoining the temple had previously been leased by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) for a madrassa, he said, adding, the lease was later cancelled after the rent allegedly remained unpaid for several years and the premises were not used for the stated purpose.
He further said that several people subsequently occupied portions of the property illegally.
Hindu community leader Rattan Lal condemned demolition of the ancient temple and requested the government to order its restoration.
“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 and asked the government to take action against those found involved in the demolition of the temple.
ETPB senior official Rana Iftikhar told PTI that the temple was approximately 100 to 125 years old and collapsed because of 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 said.
Sahotra referred to a revenue department report identifying several individuals as illegal occupants of the temple’s quarters and other parts of the property and said that an order by the ETPB’s deputy administrator in Sialkot on January 29, 2026 cancelled the seminary’s lease rights and directed the eviction of illegal occupants and sealing of the property.
“This order was not implemented,” Sahotra alleged.
According to a report attributed to the DSP Narowal, dated April 11, the local police were aware of the alleged security concerns surrounding the temple and the possibility of damage to it.
Sahotra called for the temple to be rebuilt in its original form and urged the government to ensure protection of Hindu temples, Sikh gurdwaras and Christian churches along with their adjoining properties across Punjab.
ETPB’s Iftikhar said the land adjacent to the temple was given on lease for setting up a seminary. “However, the temple’s land is not given to anyone for lease,” he said and added the ETPB highups will decide about restoration of the temple.
Rattan Lal, who is also a Hindu member of the Narowal District Peace Committee and the Pak Dharam Astan Hindu Committee, said, “We are even afraid to visit the site because of the madrassa that continues to operate on its premises.”
Arya said decades of conflict between Pakistan and India, the Islamization policies of the 1980s and the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid in India had contributed to a sense of insecurity among local Hindus, and added, “Preserving Hindu heritage can improve the image of Pakistan and attract tourism.” (PTI)
