A more than 100-year-old Hindu temple in Pakistan’s Punjab province was demolished on August 21 in Siraj village of Narowal, around 130 km from Lahore, with minority groups alleging that religious zealots targeted the site to absorb its land into an adjacent madrassa. The government, however, has maintained that the temple collapsed because of torrential rains.The demolition has triggered demands for an investigation and restoration of the temple, with the Pakistan Masiha Millat Party (PMMP) accusing local authorities and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) of failing to protect the centuries-old Hindu place of worship.PMMP chairman Aslam Parvez Sahotra said he met Punjab Additional Home Secretary on August 28 and submitted a written application seeking action against those allegedly responsible for the demolition, as well as officials accused of failing to protect the property.Sahotra alleged that the people involved in the demolition were associated with the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a banned far-right Islamic party. He further claimed that after the temple was brought down, metal fittings from its shikhar, bricks and other material were removed from the site.The temple, estimated to be between 100 and 125 years old, stood on approximately 1,000 square metres of land in Siraj village.The dispute over the site predates its demolition. According to Sahotra, land adjoining the temple had earlier been leased by the ETPB for a madrassa. The lease was subsequently cancelled after rent allegedly went unpaid for several years and the premises were not used for the stated purpose.He said several people later occupied portions of the property illegally.Sahotra referred to a revenue department report which identified individuals as illegal occupants of the temple’s quarters and other parts of the property. He said the ETPB deputy administrator in Sialkot cancelled the seminary’s lease rights on January 29, 2026, and ordered the eviction of illegal occupants and sealing of the property.“This order was not implemented,” Sahotra alleged.A report attributed to the DSP Narowal, dated April 11, also indicated that local police were aware of security concerns surrounding the temple and the possibility that it could be damaged, according to Sahotra.The ETPB, however, has rejected the allegation that the temple was deliberately demolished.ETPB senior official Rana Iftikhar told PTI that the temple had collapsed following torrential rains. He acknowledged its historical significance, saying, “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.Iftikhar also confirmed that the land adjoining the temple had been leased for a seminary, but maintained that the temple’s own land had not been leased.“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.The conflicting accounts have heightened concerns among members of the local Hindu community.Hindu community leader Rattan Lal condemned the demolition and called for the government to order the temple’s restoration. He said the district administration and ETPB had failed to take adequate steps to secure the site or remove alleged illegal occupants.“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.Lal, who is also a Hindu member of the Narowal District Peace Committee and the Pak Dharam Astan Hindu Committee, said members of the community were now reluctant to approach the site.“We are even afraid to visit the site because of the madrassa that continues to operate on its premises.”Sahotra has called for the temple to be rebuilt in its original form and urged the Punjab government to strengthen protection for Hindu temples, Sikh gurdwaras and Christian churches, along with their adjoining properties.Arya, meanwhile, said decades of conflict between Pakistan and India, the Islamisation policies of the 1980s and the 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid in India had contributed to a sense of insecurity among local Hindus.“Preserving Hindu heritage can improve the image of Pakistan and attract tourism.”
