‘Fatwa’ issued over temple in Islamabad

The fatwa from Jamia Ashrafia said that while it is permitted to spend government funds on the upkeep and repair of prevailing houses of worship of minority communities, this did not allow for building new houses of worship for non-Muslims.

A leading religious school in Pakistan has issued a “fatwa”, or religious edict, against the construction of a Hindu temple in Islamabad.

A file photo of Pakistani Hindus at The Shang Bhavan Temple in Maklei, in Thatta district, Pakistan. (File photo)

Last week, Prime Minister Imran Khan had approved a grant of 100 million rupees for building the first Hindu temple in the capital. The fatwa from Jamia Ashrafia said that while it is permitted to spend government funds on the upkeep and repair of prevailing houses of worship of minority communities, this did not allow for building new houses of worship for non-Muslims.

It questioned the decision of the government to spend tax-payer money on houses of worship of minority communities. Minorty MP Lal Malhi has said that the construction would go ahead regardless. He noted that the Hindu population in Islamabad had reached to around 3,000.