Hindu temple vandalized in Pakistan

May 21, 2012: A historic Hindu temple in Peshawar, Pakistan, which was reopened on the orders of a court last year, was vandalized, police said on Monday.

The attackers burnt pictures and damaged a 'shivling' inside Gorakhnath Temple and took away idols from the shrine located within an archaeological complex in Gor Gathri area, leaders of the Hindu community said. The shrine’s custodian told the media that this was the third attack on the temple in north-west Pakistan in the past two months.

Police officers visited the temple to probe the incident. Hindu leaders urged police to put in place better security measures to prevent such incidents. The temple's custodian told police that he had seen a group of eight men inside the temple when he arrived there at 6.30 pm on Sunday.

The men started burning pictures and holy books before fleeing with some idols, he said. Members of the minority Hindu community rushed to the temple. Footage on television showed burnt papers and utensils lying strewn on the floor of the temple. The 160-year-old temple was reopened for Hindus last year on the orders of the Peshawar High Court. It had been closed since Partition. The temple was reopened after Phool Wati, the daughter of the shrine's cleric, petitioned the high court.