Story Highlights

• Eight suspects named in FIR registered over Kashmore incident
• Police deployed around temples in Sindh
• Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab refutes reports of temple demolition in Karachi
• HRCP raises concern over attacks on Hindu temples

A Hindu temple in Kashmore district was attacked by dacoits from the riverine area, locally known as Kaccha, leaving bullet holes in its walls and fear in the hearts of the small community that worships it. The complaint of the incident was registered on Monday.

However, this does not seem to be a simple case of religion-related hate crime. It began with a woman named Seema, who went across the border to be with a man of her choice.

The police booked eight anonymous suspects in the first information report registered at the Ghauspur police station against the attack on the temple.

The FIR lodged with ASI Ali Gul Bijarani as plaintiff included sections 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 337 (Shajjah - Whoever causes, on the head or face of any person), 427 (Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 112 (Abettor when liable to cumulative punishment for act abetted and for act done) and 314 (Execution of qisas in qatl­i­amd) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The FIR also included sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1999.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also tweeted on Sunday that it had received reports of around 30 members of the Hindu community being held hostage by ‘criminal gangs’.

The HRCP also said that threats of attack on the community’s places of worship using ‘high-grade weapons’.

A BBC Urdu report said that the threats in question had been issued first by Rano Shar, a dacoit from Ghotki. Later similar threats had been issued by other dacoits about possible attacks in Karampur and Ghauspur as well.

Shar issued his threat in a video in which he addressed Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as well as other members of Parliament. He demanded that Seema must be brought back to Pakistan or Hindus living in Pakistan would be “responsible for their own safety”. He also added that he would “bomb” the community’s place of worship.

When the attack finally happened, there was little doubt about who was behind it. Shar said he condemned the attacks in Ghauspur and Karampur. He added that the Hindus in Pakistan were not to blame, but if Seema was not brought back by the government, the attacks would continue.

However, the Ghotki’s SSP said that the building that was attacked was “actually a shrine, not a place of worship”. He added that the shrine was the site of an annual celebration, where the attack happened.

There was long-standing enmity between multiple tribes in the area and police were investigating that angle as well, according to the SSP.

Karachi temple attack

The attack comes soon after something similar happened in the provincial capital of Sindh, Karachi.

A “150-year-old temple” had reportedly been demolished near the Soldier Bazaar area in Karachi. Media reports claimed that the whole event had happened when the area was plunged into darkness during load-shedding hours. And, the police had allegedly supervised the whole act. Only the boundary wall of the place of worship was “left standing”.

The Mari Mata Mandir was apparently emptied on a temporary basis for renovations, a Hindu leader told Dawn. He also added that there were stories of treasures being buried in the grounds.

But journalist Arshad Yousafzai refuted reports of the demolition of a temple.

In reply to Indian-origin professor Ashok Swain, Yousafzai tweeted that the area was a subject of a property dispute between two groups of the Hindu community.

One group was trying to build a house on the property while the other group was opposing it, he added.

Meanwhile, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab also refuted such claims.

“Have checked. No such demolition of the Mandir has taken place & Mandir is still intact,” he wrote on Twitter. “Administration has intervened & Hindu Panchayat has been asked to assist police in ascertaining the true facts.”

The Sindh police have also taken measures to increase security around Hindu temples across the province.

Sindh IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon called for the deployment of around 400 policemen for two months around Hindu temples.