Lahore: A firm of lawyers has approached the Lahore High Court seeking a directive to the builders, who have demolished Lahore's only Hindu temple, to stop the construction of a commercial plaza and reconstruct the temple in its original form at the site.
The petition has been filed by Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, the chief executive of First Law Company.
While making the Evacuee Property Trust Board (EPTB) the main respondent in the case, the petitioner maintains that according to Evacuee Trust Properties (Management and Disposal) Act, 1975, the EPTB is duty bound to maintain religious shrines in Pakistan and provide facilities for pilgrims.
But in utter disregard to its own statutory duties, the ETPB has demolished the Krishna temple situated in Sooha Bazar, Rang Mahal, Lahore, by allowing a jeweller to construct a commercial plaza at the site.
The petitioner maintains that the respondent's action is illegal and those responsible should immediately be arrested and tried under Section 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code which prohibits the demolition of the places of worship.
The petition says the constitutional law of Pakistan provides safeguard to the rights of a man to profess, propagate, perform and practice any religion and to maintain and manage religious institutions.
