Shafaqna Pakistan: Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, is all set to get its first Hindu temple. The foundation stone of the temple was laid in the mid of June and the construction has also begun for the Krishna temple.
Reportedly, the construction of the temple will cost around INR 10 crore. The temple will cover a huge area of 20000 sq ft in the city’s H-9 sector region and the Islamabad Hindu Panchayat has named it Shri Krishna Mandir.
The government announced last year it was hoping to restore some 400 Hindu temples across the country as part of its plan to showcase the heritage of minorities, particularly Hindus and Sikhs.
Last November, the Pakistani government inaugurated the Kartarpur corridor, leading to one of the holiest sites in Sikh religion, where Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak spent his last days.
The approval of Hindu Temple in Islamabad has raised many questions. First, Why PM has given approval for the construction of temple while according to constitution of Pakistan there is no need of approval of PM for construction of temples or Churches.
Second, Most of the religious scholars are of the view that Construction of Hindu temple in Islamabad is un-Islamic as Islamabad is a planned city and it had no temple before. A temple can be constructed or renovated in the area where it has exited before thus It is Un-Islamic to construct a Hindu Temple in Islamabad.
Third, By opening Karatarpura corridor and setting foundation of a temple Imran Government may be trying to find a soft corner among the world countries to show that they are most liberal and respect the rights of minorities. This may help Imran Khan to win the international support.
Fourth, it may be a poly to divide the opposition as PML-N considered as the right wing party may not be in favor of construction of a temple but PPP on the other hand a secular party may not oppose the scheme. Thus it may create a rift among the allies.
Thus construction of a temple in Islamabad may have its own political ramifications that may help PTI to achieve it political targets.