Mob sets ablaze Hindu saint's shrine in KP's Karak

• Angry mob led by elders of religious party attacks, sets ablaze a Hindu shrine in Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• Police say mob was angry over "secret expansion" of the shrine onto a nearby property
• Minister of Human Rights Shireen Mazari has strongly condemned the act

KARAK, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA: An angry mob on Wednesday attacked and set ablaze the shrine of a Hindu saint in the Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to police officials, as soon as the incident was reported, police personnel reached the site and dispersed the mob. 

As reported by Dawn.com, a mob comprising "more than a thousand people", led by local elders of a religious party, launched the attack to remove the temple. 

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 reportedly set on fire.

Following the incident, the District Police Officer of Karak told DawnNewsTV that area residents had called for a protest, guaranteeing it would be peaceful, but a local cleric instigated the crowd to resort to violence. 

Read more: Authorities hand over 200-year-old Zhob temple back to Hindu community

Area residents, according to the DPO, reported that the shrine was being "secretly expanded" which angered them.

Govt condemns the attack

Upon hearing the news, the Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari took to Twitter and "strongly condemned" the attack.

"Strongly condemn the burning of a Hindu temple by a mob in Karak Khyber Pukhtunkhwa," she stated. 

"[The] KP govt must ensure culprits [are] brought to justice. MOHR also moving on this. We, as a govt, have a responsibility to ensure [the] safety & security of all our citizens & their places of worship," the minister wrote.