Pakistani authorities have sealed a nearly 200-year-old Hindu temple in the northwestern city of Dera Ismail Khan after protests by Hindu community members and civil society activists over an attempt to demolish the building for a commercial plaza, PTI reported.
The Ram Leela Temple, located in Rahim Bazaar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was taken into the custody of the local administration on Saturday before being sealed by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), officials said.
The action followed an intervention by local residents earlier this week, when they stopped demolition work at the site.
Sohail Ahmed Azmi, head of the Dera Civil Society and the local traders’ association, said he went to the temple with other residents after learning that workers were attempting to pull down the structure. A man at the site claimed to have been awarded a contract for the demolition, Azmi said.
Members of the Hindu community and civil society groups later met to oppose the proposed demolition and called for an inquiry into the property’s ownership and the legality of plans to build a commercial complex there. They also urged elected representatives to raise the matter in Pakistan’s National Assembly.
The temple is among about 400 properties in Dera Ismail Khan that the ETPB has identified as cultural heritage sites.
The ETPB manages properties left behind by people who migrated to India during the 1947 Partition, as well as assets held in trust for minority religious communities. The board also oversees several Hindu and Sikh religious sites.
Haroon Sarab Dial, chairman of the All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement, called for greater protection of Hindu religious sites during the ongoing governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Pakistan imposed governor’s rule in the province on October 11, citing worsening law and order and accusing the provincial government, led by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party, of failing to cooperate in counterterrorism efforts.
Dial also demanded a comprehensive investigation into religious properties allegedly occupied or sold illegally between 2013 and 2026.
Local residents and heritage activists regard the Ram Leela Temple as part of Dera Ismail Khan’s historical and religious heritage. Civil society representatives said an earlier proposal to develop a commercial plaza at the site had also faced opposition from residents and traders.
The district and surrounding areas contain several historic Hindu religious and archaeological sites, including the temple complex at Bilot Sharif, which dates from the seventh to early 11th centuries, according to Pakistan’s Department of Archaeology and Museums.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called for greater transparency and accountability in the ETPB’s functioning, recommending reforms to ensure minority communities are better represented.
In a report released on Thursday, the HRCP said religious minorities continued to face violations of fundamental rights, misuse of blasphemy laws, forced marriages and conversions, and discrimination.
The report, titled Sanctuary Denied: Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2025/26, highlighted the abduction and forced marriage of Hindu and Christian girls, discriminatory employment practices and the marginalisation of minority concerns.
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