A Hindu temple more than 100 years old was demolished in Siraj village, Narowal city, in Pakistan's Punjab province on 21 August, reportedly to make way for the expansion of an adjacent seminary. The Pakistan Masiha Millat Party (PMMP), a minority rights organisation, has called the demolition deliberate and demanded the temple be reconstructed in its original form.

What Happened

According to local media reports, a group of individuals carried out the demolition of the centuries-old temple in Siraj village. The PMMP has alleged the structure was razed specifically to allow the expansion of a neighbouring seminary on land originally leased by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).

PMMP Chairman Aslam Parvez Sahotra said that the ETPB had previously leased the land adjacent to the temple to the seminary, but that the lease was later cancelled after rent went unpaid for several years. He added that portions of the property were subsequently occupied illegally.

Official Orders Ignored

Sahotra stated that the ETPB Deputy Director in Sialkot had issued an order in January cancelling the seminary's lease and directing the eviction of illegal occupants and sealing of the property. According to him, that order was 'never implemented.'

On 28 August, Sahotra and other local residents submitted a written application to the Punjab Additional Home Secretary, urging authorities to act against those responsible for the demolition and the officials who failed to protect the religious site.

PMMP Demands and Government Accountability

The PMMP has demanded the temple be rebuilt in its original form and called on the Punjab government to ensure the protection of temples, gurdwaras, churches, and their associated properties. The group has framed the incident as part of a broader pattern of institutional neglect toward Pakistan's religious minorities.

A Recurring Pattern

This comes amid a documented series of attacks on minority religious heritage in Pakistan. In June, the 125-year-old Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farooqabad was partially demolished by a local businessman who reportedly proceeded without legal clearance or a court order. Authorities acknowledged the demolition only after Sikh residents of Farooqabad took to the streets in protest.

Reports noted that an official later admitted the department had failed to take notice of the incident until the community mobilised. Critics argue the episode — like the Narowal demolition — reflects a systemic failure to enforce existing protections for minority religious sites in Pakistan.

The back-to-back incidents have drawn renewed attention to the condition of minority heritage properties across Pakistan, many of which fall under the jurisdiction of the ETPB, and to questions about whether that body's oversight mechanisms are functioning.