The Hindu community has been demanding the allocation of land where they could build a temple. Before 1947, temple structures were present in Islamabad and surrounding regions, such as the temple-like structures in Saidpur village, but they have been abandoned and are not used. The Saidpur village was declared as a heritage site and since the temple is surrounded by shops and restaurants. The Hindus were not allowed to pray there. The temple-like structure in Saidpur village is not a temple but a Dharamshala.
In 2016, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) allocated half an acre in sector H-9 for building a temple. However, the small Hindu community of Islamabad was unable to collect the money required to build the temple: the money they collected through donations was only enough to build the boundary wall. So in 2018, the Hindu Community pleaded for help from Prime Minister Imran Khan. This demand was raised again in January 2020. In June 2020, the Pakistan Religious Affairs Minister said that the government will give money for the construction of the temple. The groundbreaking ceremony of the temple construction was performed on 24 June 2020. On 27 June 2020, Prime Minister Imran Khan released Rs.100 million for the construction of the temple.
Following the decision to construct a Hindu temple in Islamabad in 2020, some extremists spoke against it. A petition was filed in the Lahore High Court against the construction of the temple. According to the petitioner, "Pakistan was created in the name of Islam and Pakistan's Constitution does not allow any action against the principal of Islam".
The Islamabad High Court rejected the petition to stay the temple construction and the Court said that the rights of minorities are protected in the Constitution and it must be protected.
The religious parties like Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), Jamiat Ahle Hadith and Jamaat-e-Islami were against the construction of a Hindu temple as according to them it is against Pakistan’s ideology
However, Muslim groups like Pakistan Ulema Council, Shia Ulema Board and the Catholic Human rights organization NCJP supported the temple construction.
Following the controversy, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) stopped the construction of the boundary wall around the temple plot and the Ministry of Religious Affairs decided to take advice from the Council of Islamic Ideology on the decision to give money for the temple construction. However, the Pakistan Hindu Panchayat said that they had already submitted an application to the CDA for construction of the wall but no response was provided. Meanwhile, the partially build boundary wall was demolished by a group of extremists, The videos of extremists demolishing the boundary wall went viral on social media and the Pakistanis heavily criticized the demolition.
On 8 June, the Islamabad High Court disposed of all petitions against the construction of the temple and ordered that the construction can continue after the building plan was approved by the CDA.
The Council of Islamic Ideology will decide whether the government can grant money for the temple construction. And the final decision on it will be given in September.
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