The Construction of a Hindu Temple in Islamabad Pakistan.

The construction of a temple in the Pakistani capital Islamabad has been a topic of discussion for the past few days. Some religious and political circles in Pakistan are opposing the construction of the temple while some circles are of the view that the objection to the construction of the temple in Islamabad is unwarranted.

The construction of the temple is underway in Sector H-9-2 of Islamabad while the Islamabad High Court has also rejected the application for restraining order to stop the construction of the temple.

Lal Chand Malahi, parliamentary secretary for human rights from the ruling PTI, inaugurated the temple June 23.

Speaking to VOA, Lal Chand Malahi clarified that the temple was approved during the previous regime. However, construction was delayed due to lack of resources.

He said that the construction of the temple would bring a positive image of Pakistan to the world, which also proves that minorities in Pakistan enjoy religious freedom.

According to Lal Chand Malahi, to say that this is just a temple is completely wrong. It is a complete four-canal complex with a crematorium, community hall, accommodation and auditorium.

According to him, when he met Prime Minister Imran Khan on June 25, the Prime Minister had directed the Minister for Religious Affairs to release funds for the construction of the temple. He said the project would cost around Rs 500 million.

However, he said that after the news of the meeting was broadcast in the media, some religious circles raised objections to the construction of the temple with the help of the government.

According to Lal Chand, he respects the views of all political and religious parties. But they are bound by the Constitution of Pakistan which allows them religious freedom in Pakistan and they expect all the constitutional institutions of Pakistan to support them.

He said that the Indian media also raised the issue for its own nefarious purposes. But he wants to point out that the problems facing the minority community in India are not the same in Pakistan.

The majority of the Hindu community in Pakistan lives in Sindh and Balochistan. The Hindu community says there is no cremation ground for Hindus in Islamabad, so they have to go to their hometowns for the last rites of their loved ones.

According to Lal Chand Malahi, there are two other temples in Islamabad. But they are not active. In addition, many Hindu properties have been seized. In this context, the construction of a new temple in Islamabad is welcome.

He clarified that most of the Hindu community living in Pakistan belongs to the poor class. There are also about 200 families living in Islamabad for whom there is no community center and they perform all their functions in marriage halls.

According to him, people from remote areas cannot afford the hotel, so the construction of this complex will make it easier for them.

Work on the four walls of the four-kanal temple is in full swing. Islamabad's H-9-2 sector is now also known for its temples. Adjacent to the temple is the Christian community's residential colony and cemetery.

Muhammad Fakhr, the contractor who built the Krishna Temple, told VOA that the wall would be completed in a month.

'Construction of temple with state resources is illegal'

Chaudhry Tanveer Advocate, a lawyer in Islamabad, had also filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court to stop the ongoing work on the temple. However, the court refused to issue a restraining order.

Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, a key ally of the government and speaker of the Punjab Assembly, also opposed the construction of the temple in Islamabad in a video statement.

He said that Pakistan was built in the name of Islam, therefore the construction of a temple in Islamabad is unwarranted. Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had suggested that instead of building a new temple, the existing temples should be maintained.

Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had said that building a new temple in Islamabad was not only against the spirit of Islam but also an insult to the state of Madinah.

Dr. Muhammad Ragheb Hussain Naeemi is the Nazim-e-Ala of Jamia Naeemia Lahore.

Talking to VOA, he said that Islam itself has come to eradicate idols and polytheism.

Speaking to VOA, he said the Islamic State has Islamic precepts and should not be used as a temple for idolatry.

Dr. Ragheb Naeemi is also in favor of repairing and restoring old temples instead of building new ones.

Ragheb Naeemi says that in a place where the population of Hindus is high and if they feel the need for a temple, they can build a temple with their own money. But the Islamic State cannot help them in any way with its own resources.

He said that though a petition has been rejected in the Islamabad High Court. However, they are talking about full litigation and are considering future strategies.

Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, chairman of the Ruwit-e-Hilal Committee in Pakistan, also opposed the construction of the temple in Islamabad during a news conference in Karachi.