Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday directed relevant authorities to consult the Council of Islamic Ideology on the issue of construction of a Hindu temple in Islamabad.
Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Haq Qadri called on Imran Khan and appraised the premier about the sensitivity of the issue and reaction coming from the religious and political circles.
Qadri said that the Hindu members of the Parliament had filed an application with the Human Rights Commission in 2017 for the construction of a place of worship.
“At the request of the Ministry of Human Rights, the Capital Development Authority allotted space for the temple in 2017. They had also requested the Ministry of Religious Affairs for funds for temple’s construction.”
He added that the minority community was told earlier that Ministry of Religious Affairs does not release funds for the construction minority places of worship, but repairs and renovates them and that the minister had forwarded the request to the premier. The CDA is responsible for providing space for religious places of worship in Islamabad.
The spokesperson for religious affairs said that Pakistan as a state and government would protect the rights of minorities as enshrined in the constitution. “The Hindu community is building the temple with its own resources.”
According to reports, the PM would decide to release funds of the construction of the temple after considering all social and religious aspects.
Meanwhile, the federal government has now been facing criticism as a serious violation of Capital Development Authority bylaws has been observed in the construction of the Hindu temple prompting the CDA to halt the construction of the temple, sources said on Saturday.
The building plan of the temple has not been approved by the CDA and no NOC was issued for the construction of the temple while the sources claimed that an NOC is required for the construction of any building including the temple in the capital. The temple was also not approved by the CDA Planning Services. The construction of the building will be thus considered illegal, the sources claimed.
The site of the Shri Krishna Mandir (temple) complex will include a crematorium, accommodation for visitors, a community hall and a parking space spread across an area of four kanals. Prime Minister Imran Khan had approved a grant of Rs100 million for the construction of the first Hindu temple in the capital.
In an other development, Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed to carry forward the process of amendments and upgradation in master plans of cities keeping in view the motivation and socio-economic activities in every city.
Chairing a high level meeting in Islamabad to review master plans of various cities of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad Capital Territory, the Prime Minister directed the provincial authorities to utilize modern technology in reviewing master plans and present a roadmap for finalizing the master plans and interim strategy within a week.
The Prime Minister said that unplanned spread of major cities has caused complex civic problems and posed threat to the environment and agriculture land. He said this situation will also pose a serious threat to food security in future.
