By Hamza Ameer

Rawalpindi, Mar 30 (IANS): Unidentified assailants ransacked a 74-year-old Hindu temple located in Rawalpind's Purana Qila area.

As per the police authorities, a case has been registered at the Bani Gala station against the attack which took place early Sunday morning.

The authorities said that the temple was being restored and construction and repair work was underway since the last one month.

It was further revealed that due to the restoration process, there were no religious rituals taking place in the temple, nor were there any idols in the premises.

"Ten to 12 people came and ransacked the doors and stairs of the temple on its outer side, which affected the construction work," Syed Raza Abbas, Assistant Security Officer, Evacue Trust Property, Northern Zone, Rawalpindi, said.

Temple administrator Om Prakash revealed that security has been deployed at his house as well as the temple following the incident.

The attack on the Hindu temple is not the first as miscreants have attacked many others in different parts of the country in the past.

The Hindu community of Pakistan has called on the government to ensure safety and security of their religious sites and facilitate them in performing their religious rituals.

In December 2020, a religious cleric had inflamed supporters and followers in attacking a historic site in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province, triggering the government to take steps to not only secure the site, but also renovating it.

Pakistan has faced global criticism over its treatment of the Hindu minorities, who have been subjected to forced conversions, kidnapping, brutal assaults and attacks on religious sites.