The administration of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan has sealed an approximately 200-year-old Hindu temple. An attempt to demolish the Ram Lila Mandir, located in the Dera Ismail Khan district, was made with the aim of converting it into a commercial plaza. This led to protests from the Hindu community and civil society activists.
On Saturday, local authorities took control of the temple, after which the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) sealed it. This temple is situated in the Rahim Bazaar area, in the center of Dera Ismail Khan city. Local residents first learned about the attempt to demolish the building earlier this week, after which they arrived at the site and stopped the vandalism.
Soheil Ahmed Ajmi, chairman of the Dera Civil Society and local Trade Association, reported that upon receiving the information, he went to the temple with other people. According to him, one person present at the scene claimed to have received a contract for the temple's demolition.
Following the incident, representatives of civil society and members of the Hindu community held a meeting. They opposed the demolition of the temple and demanded an investigation into the legality of any commercial construction on the site, as well as the land ownership rights. Furthermore, they appealed to elected representatives to raise this issue in the National Assembly of Pakistan.
Ram Lila Mandir is considered part of the historical and religious heritage of Dera Ismail Khan. ETPB has noted about 400 buildings in Dera Ismail Khan as cultural heritage sites. ETPB is a government body of Pakistan that manages property left by people who left India after the partition in 1947, as well as trust assets of religious minorities. Many Hindu and Sikh religious places are under its purview.
Haroon Sarb Dial, president of the All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement, expressed hope that Hindu religious sites would receive special protection during the current gubernatorial tenure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He also demanded a full investigation into allegations of illegal seizure or sale of religious properties between 2013 and 2026. The gubernatorial rule was introduced in Pakistan on October 11 due to allegations of poor legal conditions and inability to cooperate in the fight against terrorism. Prior to this, the province was under the management of the government of the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is imprisoned.
Dera Ismail Khan and surrounding areas host numerous old Hindu religious and archaeological sites. According to the Department of Archaeology and Museums of Pakistan, among them is the Bilot Sharif temple complex, dating back to the 7th–11th centuries. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also called for greater transparency and accountability from ETPB. In its report published on Thursday, HRCP indicated that minorities in Pakistan continue to face various human rights violations, abuse of blasphemy laws, forced marriages, religious conversion, and discrimination. The report also mentions cases of kidnapping and forced marriage of Hindu and Christian girls, as well as the neglect of issues related to labor discrimination and minorities.