ISLAMABAD: A Supreme Court bench on Monday ruled for handing over the Katas Raj temple to the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB)

The apex court in its ruling said that the federal government should take the charge of the historic Hindu temple in Chakwal district from the government of Punjab and transfer it to the EPTB.

The federal government should ensure handing over of the temple within two weeks, the court ordered.

The Supreme Court had earlier heard a suo motu case about the drying up of Katas Raj pond, which is part of the temple complex and regarded as sacred by Hindus.

In 2018, the Supreme Court had imposed a ban on extraction of underground water by cement factories in the area.

The court had wrapped up the suo motu case in May 2018 after the cement factories in the area put forward a proposal that they would find an alternative water source and pay for the water they use until then.

The top court, in November 2017, had taken notice of reports that the pond in the Katas Raj temple complex was drying up because cement factories nearby were drawing a large amount of water through a number of sub-soil wells.