Reuters AKHTAR SOOMRO
The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa State in northwest Pakistan announced Friday that it will pay the costs of rebuilding a Hindu temple destroyed by an angry crowd of Muslims on Wednesday.
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“We regret the damage caused by the attack,” said Kamran Bangash, the regional minister of information, adding that “the prime minister ordered the rebuilding of the temple and the next house.”
The official explained that construction will start as soon as possible with the support of the Hindu community in the country, adding that security will be provided at the site.
The Supreme Court in Pakistan ordered local authorities to file a report on the temple’s destruction.
Incidents of discrimination and violence against religious minorities are frequent in Pakistan, where Muslims constitute 97% of the population, and Hindus only about 2%.
On Wednesday, about 1,500 Muslims attacked the temple, which was destroyed in similar conditions in 1997, after they staged a protest against the renovation work in a nearby Hindu-owned building.
The district police chief said that about 45 people were arrested in connection with the incident, including the local cleric, Maulana Sharif, who was accused of inciting violence.
Earlier this month, the United States placed Pakistan on its list of “countries of particular concern” regarding violations of religious freedom.
Source: AFP
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