Mob vandalises Hindu temple in Rahim Yar Khan

• Social media clip showing men armed with sticks vandalising Hindu temple goes viral on social media. 
• Ministry of Human Rights in touch with police to ensure action against perpetrators, says Shireen Mazari. 
• CJP fixes matter for hearing in Supreme Court on Friday, August 6.

RAHIM YAR KHAN: A video clip of a mob attacking a Hindu temple in Rahim Yar Khan has gone viral on social media, prompting Prime Minister Imran Khan to take notice of the incident. 

As per various reports on social media, the incident took place in village Bhong of Rahim Yar Khan. 

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication, Dr Shahbaz Gill said in a tweet that the PM Office had taken notice of the sad and unfortunate incident. 

He said that the prime minister had directed the district administration to probe the matter and take strict action against the culprits.

"Pakistan’s Constitution provides freedom and protection to minorities to perform their worship freely," Gill said.

Later, the PM himself tweeted, saying he "strongly condemns" the attack on the Ganesh Mandir.

"I have already asked IG Punjab to ensure arrest of all culprits and take action against any police negligence. The govt will also restore the Mandir," he said.

Media reports quoted MNA and Patron in Chief Pakistan Hindu Council Ramesh Kumar Vankwani as saying that a mob of over two dozen people vandalised the Sidhi Vinayak temple.

Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari said the act was a violation of the Constitution and the basic human rights of Pakistanis. "MoHR is in touch with RYK police since yesterday to ensure action against perpetrators — got report — following up — our parliamentary secretary is going to visit today," she tweeted. 

In the video clip circulating on social media, dozens of men armed with sticks can be seen shouting slogans and smashing things into pieces inside the temple. 

Human rights activist Kapil Dev urged the human rights minister to do more to tackle Hinduphobia in Pakistan. "Apart from your efforts and energies to curb Islamophobia in the West, you may invest a little to curb Hinduphobia here," he tweeted. 

CJP takes notice of attack

Meanwhile, Dr Ramesh Kumar called on Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed at the Supreme Court in Islamabad and discussed the attack.

The chief justice showed grave concern over the tragic incident, state media APP reported.

Taking cognizance of the issue, the chief justice has fixed the matter before the court on Friday, August 6, in Islamabad, with directions to Chief Secretary Punjab and IGP Punjab to appear along with a report. 

Kumar has also been summoned to the hearing.

PPP submits call-attention notice to NA Secretariat

PPP and minority lawmakers have submitted a call-attention notice to the National Assembly Secretariat and announced that they will register a protest in parliament.

The notice was turned in by PPP MNA Ramesh Lal and was also signed by PML-N's Khel Das Kohistani.

Ramesh Lal said that a few extremist elements are out to defame Pakistan.

He said a letter was also sent to the Chairperson of the National Assembly Standing Committee for Human Rights Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

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

Last year, in December, a frenzied crowd had set ablaze a Hindu saint's shrine in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Karak. 

A report by Dawn.com said that a mob comprising "more than a thousand people", led by local elders of a religious party, launched the attack to destroy the temple.

Video clips on social media had shown 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.

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