Pakistan temple destruction: India lodges protest

Lahore: India has lodged a protest with Pakistan over the vandalisation of a Hindu temple in Karak district in the northwest Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, sources said on Friday. The protest was conveyed to Pakistan through diplomatic channels, they said.

On Wednesday, the temple was vandalised by a mob, protesting against its expansion work. Over 30 people, mostly members of a radical Islamist party, were arrested over the attack, Pakistani officials said on Thursday.

The attack on the temple in Terri village of Karak district drew strong condemnation from human rights activists and Hindu community leaders.

The provincial government ordered authorities to reconstruct the damaged temple as it vowed to bring the culprits to justice.

According to the local police, they arrested more than 30 people, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader Rehmat Salam Khattak, in overnight raids. Over 350 people have been named in the FIR, Provincial Police Chief KPK Sanaullah Abbasi has said.