Islamabad's First Hindu Temple
• 73 years after partition, the city of Islamabad will now house a Hindu Temple complex which includes a crematorium and other structures for religious rites.
• In 2018, Prime Minister Imran Khan's administration decided to provide $1.32 million in funding for the temple and the associated facilities to improve the conditions of minorities in the country and to restore several shrines across the country.
• The 20,000 sq ft plot has been allotted to the Hindu Panchayat at the H-9 sector by the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
• Even though the plot was allotted by the CDA in 2017, the construction work was delayed because of formalities by various authorities being due.
• Parliamentary Secretary on Human Rights Lal Chand Malhi has laid the foundation stone and said that this groundbreaking move ushers for a new age of Hindus in Pakistan.
• Malhi also mentions that after the partition, many of the temples in the capital city of Islamabad wore a deserted look and many Hindus used to travel outside the city all the way till Rawalpindi to visit temples.
• After the Kartarpur Corridor was inaugurated in 2019 to serve the long-standing wish of the Sikh community, Pakistan has gone a step further and has made a historic move by building a Hindu temple in Islamabad. These actions might play a pivotal role in de-escalating the rising tensions between India and Pakistan, as it promotes interfaith harmony among Hindus and Muslims.
• Since 2019, Pakistan has reopened and restored around 400 temples which suffered heavy loss and degradation after being shut for 72 years since the partition. The construction and restoration of such religious structures are being done in an effort to portray Pakistan as a melting pot of various religions and cultures, and also to boost tourism.
Reporter : Pranav