KP govt to reconstruct Hindu temple: Mahmood Khan

PESHAWAR: The  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will reconstruct the Hindu temple vandalised in the Karak district, the province's chief minister Mahmood Khan said Friday.

The chief minister said that several people involved in the incident were arrested and that the provincial government would soon ensure the reconstruction of the temple.

Mahmood Khan said that orders have been issued to the concerned authorities for the construction of the temple and categorically stated that no one would be allowed to take the law into their own hands.

The chief minister vowed that the protection of the minorities' holy places would be ensured no matter the cost.

On Wednesday, an angry mob attacked and set ablaze the shrine of a Hindu saint in Karak. Video clips going viral on social media show hordes of people breaking and desecrating the site while chanting slogans. Smoke could also be seen emitting from the shrine after it was set on fire.

The announcement came a day after KP Police arrested more than 31 suspects and registered a case against 350 people for their alleged involvement in vandalising the temple in Karak district.

Karak DPO Irfanullah said JUI-F district leader Maulana Mirza Aqeem is also nominated in the case, adding that security officials were conducting raids to detain suspects.

CJP takes notice of mob attack on Hindu temple

Prior the arrest, Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed took suo-motu notice of the incident after a meeting with Pakistan Hindu Council chief patron Dr Ramesh Kumar. The case will be heard in the apex court on January 5.

The top court has also sought a report from the National Commission of Minorities as well as police chief and chief secretary of the northwestern province by January 4.