The Supreme Court has summoned the Chairman Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) in a Suomoto notice case regarding rights of minorities in the country and the tragic incident at the shrine of a Hindu saint in District Karak, KPK. A three-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed heard the case. During the course of proceedings, the bench asked the ETPB to submit time frame to rebuild Hindu shrine in Karak, which was damaged in a tragic incident of vandalism on December 30 last year. Chief Justice directed the Chairman ETPB to identify all minority properties across the country and submit a report. The Court observed that housing societies were being built on trust land, how was that possible. The court was informed about the geo-tagging of all properties by ETPB. AAG told the court that 14 properties of ETAB were currently occupied by the Qabza mafia. The constitution of Pakistan has guaranteed the rights of minorities of the country and government of Pakistan is committed to safeguard these rights of its minorities without any distinction of race, religion and creed. A violent group attacked the Krishna Dawara temple and the samadhi of Shri Paramhans Ji Maharaj in Teri of District Karak in December last year. The government took serious notice of the incident and Police arrested the 119 people involved in the heinous act. As per reports, Provincial government has allocated Rs. 34.8 million rupees for reconstruction of the temple and Samadhi. Hopefully, the temple will be rebuilt very soon. The chairman of minorities ’commission Dr. Shoaib Suddle is working on the case and he also criticized the inefficiently and noncooperation by ETPB with the one-member commission. The court issued order for ETPB to present its viewpoint in the case on next hearing. The state of Pakistan is fully abiding its responsibilities to provide free and fair environment to minorities to live as per their desire and available them all possible support to observe their religious obligations. Hindu Community of Pakistan had formed a Pakistan Hindu Commission (PHC), a body working for promotion of interests of the Hindu Community in the country. Dr. Ramesh Kumar, a renowned Pakistani politician and MNA is the head of this body and fully linked up with government institutions to represent the Hindu community. The whole Pakistani nation has condemned this act of vandalism and stand by their native Hindu community. Such regrettable incident does not represent the resilience of Pakistani nation nor displays the true face of Pakistan.
