Two Hindu temples were attacked and desecrated in Pakistan’s Sindh province within a span of just 24 hours. According to a report in Pakistani news outlet Dawn, on Sunday morning, 16 July, a gang of dacoits attacked a Hindu temple with rocket launchers in Sindh’s Kashmore region.
The assailants reportedly targeted Hindu believers as they attacked the temple and the adjoining homes belonging to Hindus. They opened fire indiscriminately at the temple and adjoining houses.
After the firing incident, a local police unit headed by Kashmore-Kandhkot SSP Irfan Sammo reached the spot. According to the police official, the assailants fired “rocket launchers” at the place of worship which was closed at the time of the attack. Police estimated that there were eight to nine gunmen involved in the attack.
The police official informed that the temple opens annually for religious services conducted by the Bagri community, the Dawn reported.
SSP Sammo said, “The suspects fled from the scene after the attack. Police are conducting a search operation in the area.” He added that there were around eight to nine gunmen and they were tracking them in the riverine areas.
Dr. Suresh is a member of the Bagri community. He informed that the dacoits fired “rocket launchers” but they failed to explode, resulting in no loss of life.
According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, around 30 Hindus including women and children, were allegedly held hostage by organised criminal gangs.
HRCP is alarmed by reports of deteriorating law and order in the districts of Kashmore and Ghotki in Sindh, where some 30 members of the Hindu community – including women and children – have allegedly been held hostage by organised criminal gangs.
— Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (@HRCP87) July 16, 2023
The commission also expressed concerns that the criminals have threatened to attack Hindu temples with high-graded weapons. It said, “Moreover, we have received disturbing reports that these gangs have threatened to attack the community’s sites of worship, using high-grade weapons.”
It also called on the Sindh Home Department to investigate the matter without delay.
150 years old Mari Mata Temple bulldozed
In an appalling incident of hate crime, another Hindu temple was attacked less than 24 hours before the Kashmore temple attack. An over 150-year-old Hindu temple was demolished in Karachi’s Soldier Bazaar on Friday night using diggers and bulldozers, reported Dawn on the 16th of July.
The old Mari Mata Temple in Soldier Bazaar was razed to the ground by the local authorities. According to the Dawn report, locals claimed that the authorities carried out the demolition while the area was without electricity. They added that police vehicles were present to provide “cover” to the men operating the machines.
Except for the outer walls and the temple’s main gate, diggers and a bulldozer demolished the entire structure.
Shri Ram Nath Mishra is a priest of a nearby Shri Punch Mukhi Hanuman Mandir. He said, “It is a very old mandir. It is said to have been built over 150 years ago. The temple covered about 400 to 500 square yards and there had been talk of land grabbers having their eye on it. But last night the Mari Mata Mandir was just flattened.”
He added that the Mandir was managed by the Madrasi Hindu community of Karachi.
The local authorities claimed that the old structure was dangerous and might topple any day. They added that due to this, the mandir management temporarily moved most of the deities from the temple.
However, a member of the Madrasi Hindu community alleged that they were being forced to vacate by two persons, namely, Imran Hashmi and Rekha AKA Nagin Bai. He added that there were talks of selling the temple for an amount of 70 million rupees and the buyers had been planning to build a commercial building there. It has been alleged that forged documents in the name of an individual named Navaid have been created to transform the plot’s lease into a commercial one.
The Hindu community has urged the Pakistan-Hindu Council, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, and the Inspector General of Sindh Police to look into the matter.
