It is Lahore’s turn after Malaysia.

The only Hindu temple in the Pakistani city of Lahore has been demolished to pave the way for construction of a multi-storied commercial building.

The temple was recently demolished after officials of the Evacuee Property Trust Board (EPTB), the government body maintaining properties of minorities, specially Hindus and Sikhs, reportedly concealed facts from the board chairman about the nature of the building, daily Dawn reported today.

A private developer was allowed to demolish ‘Krishna Mandir’ at Wachhoowali, Rang Mahal and raise a commercial building in its place in violation of the EPTB’s own scheme for management and disposal of urban evacuee trust properties…

I’m not surprised: minority rights do not apply in a “pure” Islamic state. Rather, I’m surprised that the secular media mustered up enough courage to report it. Of course, I don’t mean to compare notes with their secular reporting on the recent Vadodara riots where a Dargah, not a Mosque was demolished after…what’s that phrase…ah! due diligence was applied.

I’m waiting for those furious op-eds condemning this temple-demolition; well, I’m not ambitious at all; I’d like to read a piece whose fury matches at least 1% of all those damning “articles” written in the wake of the Babri Masjid demolition.

Tailnote: Surprisingly, Pakistan’s Dawn carries some balanced reporting on the issue with a picture of the temple (pretty sad to look at).