Islamabad to have first Hindu temple, crematorium soon

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan federal capital Islamabad would soon have first Hindu temple as Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Friday sanctioned plot for the purpose.

CDA has approved a plot measuring four kanal in H-9/2 sector where Hindu community will build a temple as well as a cremation center.

A letter has been written to Directorate of State Management in this regard and the land would be handed over to the community through the Auqaf department.

However, the development authority has conditioned allotment of plot with approval of Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony and other concerned departments in a bid to avoid any confusion arising in the future.

National Assembly (NA) Parliamentary committee had approved allotment of land in July 2016 after shrugging off concerns presented by the government that there would be security issues with a Hindu temple.

Currently, Islamabad has no temple and around 1200 Hindus from Islamabad celebrate religious and cultural festivals in their homes.

In case of a death in the Hindu community, they had to take the bodies either to Rawalpindi or to their native towns for cremation.

The only temple in the twin cities is Krishna Mandir in Kabari Bazaar, Saddar Rawalpindi. There are also some small temples in residential parts of the Rawalpindi cantonment.