LAHORE, PAKISTAN, December 16, 2006: The Hindu community on Thursday demanded the reconstruction of more than 1,000 temples across Pakistan which had been demolished by Muslims who rioted in December 1992 as protest against the demolition of the Babri Masjid in India. While Muslims in India commemorated December 6, the day Babri Masjid was demolished by Hindus, as a “day of resistance” and demanded the Indian government reconstruct the Babri Masjid and take action against those responsible for the incident.
The All Pakistan Balmik Sabha (APBS) Balochistan President Atnay Ram Chohan said that more than 1,000 Hindu temples had been damaged in Pakistan following the Babri Masjid incident and the government had assured the Hindu community that their places of worship would be restored, but that promise has yet to be fulfilled. APBS Punjab General Secretary Dr Munohar Chand said that though the government had started reconstructing several temples in Multan, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Kohat, Bahawalpur and Lahore, the pace of work was slow and must be completed on priority to promote religious harmony in the country. He added that several temples in Lahore including Jain Mandir, Krishna Mandir, Balmik Mandir in Nila Gumbad, Balmik Mandir and Bawa Mandir in Taxali Gate and Shah Alam Mandir had been damaged in the violent protests in 1992, but the government had only reconstructed the Krishna Mandir on Ravi Road.