Vandalised temple in Pak repaired, returned to Hindu community

A Hindu temple vandalised by fanatics five days ago in central Pakistan's Bhong has been repaired and returned to the Hindu community.

The angry Muslim crowd over the reports of an eight-year boy from the Hindu community allegedly passing urine in a library at a local religious school attacked the temple in which the worshipping idols and the temple's main door were damaged.

District administrator Khurram Shahzad was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying that the Hindu communing would soon resume worship at the temple and the security has been tightened to prevent further attack on the temple.

The local police station in the region has booked the boy under the country's notorious blasphemy act on the demands of the angry Muslims. The boy later got released on bail after criticism from the Hindu community and other activists for having a boy booked under blasphemy, an act punishable by death in Pakistan, for an innocuous act. 

A dozen people have been arrested for attacking and damaging the temple and they will be made to pay for the repair. The incident created fear among the Hindu community in the region, many of them flee the area fearing an attack from the angry Muslims. The boy's family has also been forced to go into hiding.

Since the introduction of the blasphemy law, no one has been executed so far but at least 79 people have been murdered in the name of the blasphemy laws, according to an Al Jazeera tally. Those killed include people accused of blasphemy, their family members, their lawyers and at least one judge.

Tags: