ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday directed concerned authorities to consult Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) to get the issue of construction of a Hindu temple in federal capital resolved. Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri who, called on the prime minister apprised him about the sensitivity of the issue and the likely backlash coming from religious and political circles.

The minister said 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 [CDA] allotted space for the temple in 2017. They had also requested the Ministry of Religious Affairs for funds for temple's construction.

He said the minority community was told earlier that Ministry of Religious Affairs does not release funds for the construction of minorities' 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," spokesman added.

The authorities stopped the construction work at the site of the first Hindu temple to be built in the city for not having an approved building plan.

As per plans, the Krishna temple will come up in a 20,000 sq ft plot in the capital's H-9 sector. The groundbreaking ceremony for the temple was performed recently by parliamentary secretary on human rights Lal Chand Malhi. The CDA on Friday stopped construction of the boundary wall on the plot meant for the temple, citing legal reasons. Chaudhry Pervez Elahi of Pakistan Muslim League-Q recently opposed construction of the temple, saying it was "against the spirit of Islam.

Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan. According to official estimates, 7,500,000 Hindus live in the country but as per community's own estimates, over 9,000,000 Hindus are living in the country.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020