Quetta:
Authorities have returned a 200-year-old temple in Zhob to the Hindu community in a ceremony attended by the Deputy Commissioner, leaders of the Hindu community and various political parties. The ceremony featured Maulana Allah Dad Kakar of the JUI-F as chief guest, handing over the keys for the temple to Hindu Panchayat leader Saleem Jan.
For the past 30 years, the temple premises had been utilized as a government school. Now the school has been moved elsewhere.
Maulana Kakar is the Khatib of Zhob's main mosque. His support for restoring the temple to the local Hindu community was seen as a moment of interfaith harmony.
The local Hindu community had been using a mud-based building for their temple, but it was considered derelict. There are similar calls from the local Sikh community for a gurdwara to be returned to their custody.