Pakistan seals 200-year-old Hindu temple after demolition protests

Authorities in Pakistan have sealed a nearly 200-year-old Hindu temple after members of the Hindu community and civil society activists protested against an attempt to demolish the historic structure for a commercial plaza, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

The Ram Leela Temple in northwestern Pakistan was taken into official custody by the local administration on Saturday and later sealed by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), officials told PTI.

Local residents intervened earlier this week to stop demolition work at the temple in Rahim Bazaar in Dera Ismail Khan city, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The controversy comes amid wider concerns over the safety and rights of religious minorities in Pakistan.

Sohail Ahmed Azmi, president of the Dera Civil Society and the local traders' association, said he rushed to the site with other residents after learning that workers were trying to demolish the building. Azmi said a man at the site claimed that he had been awarded a demolition contract.

Civil society representatives and members of the Hindu community later met to oppose the proposed demolition. They demanded an investigation into the property's ownership and the legality of any commercial construction at the site. They also urged elected representatives to raise the matter in Pakistan's Assembly.

The temple is among about 400 buildings in Dera Ismail Khan identified by the ETPB as cultural heritage properties, PTI reported. The ETPB is a Pakistani government body that manages properties left behind by people who migrated to India after Partition in 1947, along with properties held in trust for minority religious communities. It oversees several Hindu and Sikh religious sites.

Haroon Sarab Dial, chairman of the All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement, expressed hope that Hindu religious sites would receive special protection during the current period of governor's rule in the province. He also sought a thorough investigation into religious properties allegedly occupied or sold illegally between 2013 and 2026.

Pakistan imposed governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 11, citing a deteriorating law and order situation. It accused the provincial government, run by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party, of failing to cooperate in counterterrorism efforts.

Local residents and heritage activists regard the Ram Leela Temple as part of Dera Ismail Khan's historical and religious heritage. Civil society representatives said an earlier attempt to build a commercial plaza at the site had also faced opposition from residents and traders.

The district and surrounding areas have several historic Hindu religious and archaeological sites. These include the temple complex at Bilot Sharif, which dates from the seventh to the early 11th centuries, according to Pakistan's Department of Archaeology and Museums.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called for greater transparency and accountability in the ETPB's functioning. It has recommended reforms to make the body more representative of minority communities.

In a report released on Thursday, the HRCP said minorities continued to face violations of fundamental rights, misuse of blasphemy laws, forced marriages and conversions, and discrimination. The report, titled Sanctuary Denied: Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2025/26, highlighted the abduction and forced marriage of Hindu and Christian girls, discriminatory employment practices and the marginalisation of minority concerns.

The temple has now been placed in official custody and sealed after residents and activists stopped its attempted demolition, while community representatives continue to seek an investigation into the property's ownership and proposed commercial use.

With PTI Inputs

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