Hindus, Sikhs advised to respect each other’s religious sentiments

Report in Dawn, August 5th, 2014

PESHAWAR: A single-bench of Peshawar High Court on Monday adjourned hearing in a case pertaining to a controversy between the Hindu and Sikh communities in Peshawar over a centuries old Hindu temple a portion of which the latter claimed was a gurdwara where they had worshiped for many years.

The bench comprising Justice Mussarat Hilali asked members of both the communities to respect each other’s religious sentiments and also be accommodative towards each other. The judge observed that Constitution of Pakistan guaranteed rights to non-Muslims and they should also show tolerance towards other religions.

The bench was hearing a civil revision petition filed against a judgment of a subordinate court, which had held last year that the controversial temple at RA Bazzar in Peshawar Cantonment was a Hindu worship place and had rejected the claim of the Sikh community that a portion of the said temple was a gurdwara.

The bench adjourned hearing as counsel of the petitioner, Nano Ram, belonging to Sikh community, could not turn up for arguing the case. The bench directed that the case be again fixed for final arguments after the summer vacations of the court, which would end next month.

Hearing in temple controversy case adjourned

Advocate Shah Faisal Utmankhel appeared for Jawed Lal, who has been contesting the case on behalf of the Hindu community. Mr Utmankhel stated that an additional district and sessions judge had decided the case in their favour in 2013 and declared that the relevant documents showed that there was never any gurdwara inside the RA Bazzar temple.

According to the members of Hindu community, the controversy erupted after Nano Ram and some other members of the Hindu community converted to Sikh religion in 1991. They claimed that after their conversion they started using a portion of the temple as their worship place which annoyed the members of the Hindu community and they filed a civil suit for declaring their act as illegal.

Few years ago a civil judge dismissed their civil suit and declared that a platform of the said temple, which was mentioned in the relevant record, was historically used as gurdwara. However, Jawed Lal filed an appeal before the court of additional district and sessions judge, which set aside the order of the civil judge and decided the case in their favour.

Jawed Lal contended that the general land register maintained by the Cantonment Board clearly showed that the entire structure was a Hindu temple. He added that the record also showed that a platform in the temple was used as daramshala (guest room) and not as a gurdwara. He claimed that the RA Bazzar temple was an ancient exclusive place of worship of Hindu community which was duly recognised by the Auqaf department in its record.http://www.dawn.com/news/1123439/hindus-sikhs-advised-to-respect-each-others-religious-sentiments