The minority Hindu community in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has decided to ‘pardon’ the radical Islamist mob that vandalised and burned down the century-old Krishna Dwara temple in the area, reports Times Of India.
A meeting was held between members of the persecuted Hindu community and some clerics from the area to resolve the dispute. In the conciliatory dialogue, informally called ‘jirga’, the accused have tendered an apology over the attack and a similar incident in 1997.
The Hindu community has reportedly agreed to pardon the mob accused of vandalising the century-old temple. In return, the Muslim clerics have assured full protection to the Hindus and their rights as per the Constitution of the Islamic Republic.
The temple, which is situated in Terri village of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak district was vandalised last December by a mob led by local clerics and members of radical Islamist party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam. The mob has also destroyed an adjoining ‘samadhi’ and set it on fire along with an under-construction house owned by a Hindu.
The shrine built before 1920 was a historic place of worship. A Muslim cleric from Karak, who enjoys the support of a militant group, had allegedly instigated the local Muslims against the Hindu community and provoked them to demolish the temple.
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