The fates of two old shrines in Ahmed Pur Lamma, Punjab, confirms the disrespect towards religious minorities’ places of worship.
Massimo Introvigne
Ahmed Pur Lamma is a town in Punjab, Pakistan, located some thirteen kilometers from the city of Sadiqabad, in the Rahim Yar Khan District.
In a few days, the sad fates of two old Hindu temples there has been disclosed by netizens. The news have been confirmed by local media and have sparked outrage among Hindus.
First, evidence surfaced that a Krishna temple had been converted into a mosque. Although the local Muslim caretaker claims that the conversion happened some seventy years ago, local Hindus suspect that the repurposing took place much more recently.
Second, another temple in the same area, 400-year old, has been transformed into a cattle farm. Images were posted on X on December 4 and generated a lively discussion. Here again, it is unclear when the conversion happened but local Hindus report that animals appeared in what was once a venerated place of worship only recently.
Obviously, these incidents are differently interpreted within the context of widespread sectarian controversy. But they confirm that places of worship of religious minorities are not treated in Pakistan with the respect they deserve.