Pakistan Supreme Court asks ETPB chief to explain sale of Hindu property in Karachi

“Under what law the properties belonging to the minorities are being sold,” wondered Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed during the hearing of a petition submitted by Ramesh Kumar Vankwani complaining that the apex court’s directives about the protection of properties belonging to minority communities were not being implemented, reported Dawn News.

Ramesh Kumar Vankwani is the patron of the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC).

Vankwani approached the court with a plea to ensure the implementation of a 2014 judgement which spelt out guidelines for the government to promote religious and cultural tolerance in society by developing curricula for schools and colleges.

The judgement had proposed a task force for promoting tolerance and establishing a police unit to protect the minorities’ places of worship, according to Dawn News.

The petitioner claimed that an inquiry had found that the ETPB had forged documents to prove the Sindh Heritage Department issued a no objection certificate (NOC) for the demolition of a Dharamshala – a shelter for Hindu pilgrims – in Karachi, the Pakistani newspaper reported.

The piece of land, over which the entire situation is resting, is spread across 716 square yards.

It was allegedly handed over to a builder to construct a shopping centre.

On June 11, the Supreme Court had ordered the Sindh government’s Heritage Department and the ETPB not to demolish any part of the Dharamshala, in Karachi’s Saddar, Dawn News reported.

The apex court had directed Karachi’s commissioner to take over the building so that no person trespassed upon the premises.

In his application, Vankwani requested the apex court to transfer control of the premises to the management of the nearby Baghani Temple. He called for an inquiry by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) into the alleged forging of documents and demolition of the heritage property by the ETPB, the Pak media outlet reported.

“But unfortunately ETPB has not paid the balance amount of Rs 38 million to PHC even though eight months have elapsed since the issuance of the order (on Feb 8),” Vankwani alleged.