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Islamabad: A historical Hindu temple located near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has been demolished, and construction for a commercial complex has started at the site. The now demolished ‘Khyber Temple’, reportedly situated in the border town of Landi Kotal Bazaar in the Khyber district, has been closed since the 1947 India-Pakistan divide, when the original occupants migrated to India.
Over the years the temple had gradually deteriorated and was falling apart brick by brick. Construction work at the site started about 10 to 15 days ago. Officials of various administrative departments have either denied knowledge of the existence of the temple or stated that the construction is being carried out as per established rules.
Ibrahim Shinwari, a leading tribal journalist from Landi Kotal, confirmed the historical presence of the temple. He recalled hearing stories about the temple from his forefathers as a child. The temple, located in the heart of Landi Kotal Bazaar, was closed in 1947 following the departure of local Hindu families. Shinwari mentioned that the temple had been partially damaged by clerics and seminarians in 1992 as a reaction to the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, India.
Haroon Sarabdiyal, a representative from the Pakistan Hindu Mandir Management Committee, stressed the importance of the district administration and relevant government departments in ensuring the protection and rehabilitation of historical religious buildings. He noted that the 2016 antiquity law obligates the archaeology and museums department, police, culture department, and local government to protect sites of historical and religious importance to non-Muslims.
Assistant Commissioner of Landi Kotal, Muhammad Irshad, expressed ignorance about the temple’s demolition and claimed there was no record of the temple in the official land registry of the Khyber tribal district. He added that the entire land in Landi Kotal Bazaar was owned by the state. The official stated that a ‘no objection certificate’ had been issued to the builder for the renovation and repair of old shops in Landi Kotal Bazaar.
The tehsil municipal authorities have permitted the construction of commercial buildings and shops in all trade and commercial centres in tribal districts. Tehsil Municipal Officer (TMO) Shahbaz Khan explained that the local government is authorised to approve commercial construction projects only after the submission of plans and requisite fees.
However, municipal authorities admit to lacking authentic and organised revenue records in Khyber district. Abdus Samad, the former TMO during whose tenure the deal for the commercial building’s construction was struck, claimed ignorance about any such orders issued by his office. Landi Kotal patwari Jamal Afridi also claimed to be unaware of construction activity at the temple’s site, emphasising that revenue records contained no mention of a temple at that location.
Shinwari expressed doubts about the district administration and municipal authorities’ claims of not having official land records of the temple. He pointed out that the auqaf department is responsible for maintaining and preserving historical non-Muslim places of worship but lacks a presence or employees in the Khyber tribal district.
Sarabdiyal suggested that places not actively used by minorities or in a dilapidated state could be repurposed for social welfare activities benefiting local communities rather than being demolished and redeveloped. This perspective offers a potential compromise that could respect the cultural heritage of the region while also accommodating development.
