Pakistan temple attack: Local police chief, 11 cops fired

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Policemen inspect the burnt Hindu temple in a remote village in Karak district of Pakistan. — AFP
Policemen inspect the burnt Hindu temple in a remote village in Karak district of Pakistan. — AFP

Peshawar - The 12 policemen were fired over “acts of cowardice” and “negligence” for not trying to stop the mob when it attacked the temple

By AP

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Published: Fri 15 Jan 2021, 11:21 AM

Pakistani authorities sacked a local police chief and 11 other policemen for failing to protect a Hindu temple that was set on fire and demolished last month by a mob led by hundreds of supporters of a radical Islamist party, police said on Friday.

The 12 policemen were fired over “acts of cowardice” and “negligence” for not trying to stop the mob when it attacked the temple, with some having fled the scene. Another 48 policemen were given various punishments following a probe into the attack, the police statement said.


The punishments come amid government assurances to the Hindu community that the temple in Karak, a town in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, would be rebuilt.

Hours after the attack on December 30, authorities arrested about 100 people on charges of participating or provoking the mob to demolish the temple. The detainees included supporters of the radical Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party, who are currently facing trials on various charges.


The attack took place after members of the Hindu community received permission from local authorities to renovate the temple.

Although Muslims and Hindus generally live peacefully together in Pakistan, there have been other attacks on Hindu temples in recent years.


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