Islamabad, September 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The collapse of a more than 100-year-old Hindu temple in Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab province has raised concerns among minority communities, amid conflicting accounts over the circumstances surrounding the destruction of the heritage site.
According to a report in Bitter Winter, the Pakistan Masiha Millat Party (PMMP), a minority rights organisation, alleged that the temple was deliberately demolished to create additional space for a nearby madrasa.
However, the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), which manages Hindu and Sikh properties left behind by people who migrated to India after Partition, maintained that the temple collapsed during torrential rains. The Punjab government has supported the ETPB’s account, the report said.
PMMP chairman Aslam Parvez Sahotra said he and several local residents had submitted a written application to the Punjab Additional Home Secretary, seeking action against those allegedly responsible for the demolition as well as officials accused of failing to protect the site.
Sahotra claimed that an order issued by the ETPB Deputy Director in Sialkot in January had cancelled the lease of the madrasa, directed illegal occupants to vacate the property and ordered the site to be sealed. According to him, the order was never implemented.
The PMMP alleged that the temple was dismantled piece by piece, with bricks and metal fittings removed from the premises. The organisation questioned the official account that the structure collapsed due to heavy rain, pointing to the alleged absence of materials from the site.
The minority rights group has called for reconstruction of the temple in its original form and urged the Punjab government to strengthen protection for Hindu temples, Sikh gurdwaras and Christian churches.
The incident has also revived concerns over the protection of minority heritage sites in Pakistan. The report referred to an earlier incident in June involving the more than 125-year-old Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farooqabad, where portions of the structure were reportedly demolished after a local businessman allegedly carried out work without legal clearance or a court order.
According to the report, Sikh residents protested following the incident, after which authorities acknowledged the damage and assured the community that the structure would be reconstructed.
The conflicting accounts surrounding the Narowal temple have prompted renewed demands from minority groups for greater protection of religious and heritage properties and accountability where such sites are damaged or destroyed.
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