Krishna Mandir demolished despite objection

Lahore: The Krishna Mandir, the only functional Hindu temple in Lahore, has been demolished to pave the way for construction of a multi-storied commercial building despite strong resistance given by the opposition members of the National Assembly.

The temple was demolished in the first week of June after the Evacuee Property Trust Board (EPTB), the government body maintaining the properties of the minorities, specially Hindus and Sikhs, granted due permission to a Muslim jeweller to demolish the temple and construct a commercial building in its place at Wachhowali in Rang Mahal, Lahore.

Violation

The EPTB authorities had approved the demolition in violation of its own Scheme for Management and Disposal of Urban Evacuee Trust Properties, 1977 that categorically prohibits the sale or demolition of an evacuee trust property that is part of a shrine, a religious place or a building of historical or architectural importance.

Damaged

Another amazing aspect of the case is that following instructions from the Prime Minister's Secretariat, the ETPB had allocated a sum of Rs1.2 million in January 2005 for the renovation and extension of the Krishna Mandir which was to be completed by June 2006, when it was demolished instead.

The Krishna temple had been badly damaged in clashes that took place after the demolition of the Babri Mosque in India in 1990.

The Krishna Mandir was probably the only Hindu temple in Lahore which still had remnants of a place of worship. This no longer is the case as the entire building, except a small portion facing the Wachhowali lane, has been brought down by the developer.