ISLAMABAD’S authorities have restored a piece of land allotted to the Hindu community for the construction of the first temple in the Pakistani capital following a public outcry after officials told a top court that the allotment was cancelled.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) revealed the cancellation of the plot on Monday (9) during the hearing of a case in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), the Dawn newspaper reported on Tuesday (10).
Javed Iqbal, the CDA's counsel, told the court that the civic agency had already cancelled the plot for the Hindu community in February this year for not starting construction on it.
According to the report, 0.5 acres of land at H-9/2 in Islamabad was allotted to the community in 2016 for the construction of the first-ever Hindu temple, cremation and community centre.
Following the news of the cancellation of the plot, the mainstream and criticised the CDA, forcing it to withdraw the notification.
CDA spokesperson Syed Asif Raza said that following a decision of the government, allotments of all lands issued to various offices, universities and other institutions on which no construction work had been started were cancelled.
However, officials in the civic agency misinterpreted the Cabinet decision and had cancelled the plot allotted to the Hindu community.
He said approval had already been given for the construction of a boundary wall on the land allotted for the temple, so the decision of the Cabinet did not apply to it.
This plot did not fall in the category of those where construction had not taken place, he added.
Asked if the CDA will initiate an inquiry against those who misinterpreted the Cabinet's decision, he said: “actually, there was no bad intention involved in this case."
"There was some sort of confusion and misinterpretation of the Cabinet decision and when the matter was brought into the notice of high-ups, the allotment was restored immediately,” he said.
In July last year, after a strong reaction from right-wing groups, which criticised the government for its intention to build a Hindu temple with government funding, the CDA had stopped the community from constructing the boundary wall around the plot.
However, the matter was resolved in December when the city managers issued permission to the community to raise the boundary wall.
There is no temple and cremation centre in Islamabad for the Hindu community. After lots of efforts by the community and on the direction of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the CDA allotted the land to the community in 2016.
In the past, there was a temple in the Saidpur village area of Islamabad but that was abandoned decades ago.
(PTI)
Moglai Bap and Mo Chara of Kneecap perform at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Police may probe anti-Israel comments at Glastonbury
BRITISH police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after performers at Glastonbury Festival made anti-Israel comments during their shows.
"We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England, said on X late on Saturday (28).
Irish hip-hop group Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan made anti-Israeli chants in separate shows on the West Holts stage on Saturday. One of the members of Bob Vylan chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in a reference to the Israel Defense Forces.
"Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the police statement said.
The Israeli Embassy in Britain said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival".
Prime minister Keir Starmer said earlier this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap to appear at Glastonbury.
The band's frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He has denied the charge.
A British government minister said it was appalling that the anti-Israel chants had been made at Glastonbury, and that the festival's organisers and the BBC broadcaster - which is showing the event - had questions to answer.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News.
"I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously," he said.
(Reuters)