LHC questions maintainability of plea against temple in Islamabad

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday questioned the maintainability of a petition against the construction of a temple in Islamabad.

Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh took up the petition and asked the petitioner to establish how this petition was maintainable at the Lahore High Court when the temple was being constructed in Islamabad.

The territorial jurisdiction demanded that the petitioner should have approached the Islamabad High Court. The court deferred hearing until 8 July, asking the petitioner's counsel to satisfy the court on maintainability issue first. Muhammad Akif, a resident of Gujrat, filed the petition that Pakistan was created in the name of Islam and the Constitution of the country did not allow any action against the principles of Islam.

He contended that the bylaws of Capital Development Authority (CDA) did not carry any provision for the construction of a temple. He claimed that as per the record of the election commission, there were only 178 Hindu registered citizens in Islamabad and no new worship place was required for them.

The petitioner argued that the existing laws had no provision for the construction of new worship places for non-Muslims. He asked the court to declare construction of temple in Islamabad unconstitutional and restrain the government from taking any action in this regard.