Pakistan calls India’s temple allegations ‘politically motivated’

Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) has strongly rejected India’s allegations regarding the reported demolition of a century-old Hindu temple in Narowal, describing New Delhi’s claims as “false and politically motivated.”

FO spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan, responding to media queries on Friday, said the historic Hindu temple located at Adda Siraj in Narowal was not deliberately demolished but suffered structural damage following torrential rainfall.

“Unlike the false propaganda being peddled by India, the temple’s structure was damaged on July 21, 2026 due to torrential rains,” the spokesperson said.

He added that local authorities had already inspected and surveyed the damage caused by the heavy rains and had initiated measures for the restoration of the building.

The statement came after India’s Ministry of External Affairs raised concerns on September 2 over reports that the historic temple in Siraj village had been destroyed. Indian authorities characterised the reported incident as an act of vandalism involving a century-old place of worship belonging to the Hindu minority.

Rejecting the Indian allegations, the FO said the facts surrounding the incident had been distorted for political purposes.

“It is, therefore, shameful that India is distorting facts and resorting to cheap gimmicks,” Khan said.

According to Pakistan’s official account, the temple’s deteriorated structure collapsed after being affected by torrential rains. The government says restoration efforts have subsequently been initiated to preserve the historic site.

However, the incident has generated controversy, with a minority rights group presenting a different account. The group alleged that the temple was deliberately demolished to facilitate the expansion of an adjoining seminary, a claim that contrasts sharply with the government’s explanation that the structure was damaged by severe weather.

The FO spokesperson also used the occasion to criticise India’s record on minority rights, arguing that New Delhi’s allegations against Pakistan could not divert attention from what Islamabad described as the persecution of religious minorities in India.

“Such deliberate distortion of facts cannot distract attention from India’s abysmal record of systematic persecution of minorities and state-sponsored attacks against their places of worship,” Khan said.

He further accused India of using the issue to advance what Pakistan considers to be a politically motivated narrative against the country.

“The world is well aware of the weaponisation of Hindutva ideology against minorities,” the spokesperson said, adding that Indian leaders should be held accountable for what he described as the persecution of Muslim, Sikh and Christian communities.

The dispute over the Narowal temple comes amid continuing tensions between Pakistan and India, with issues concerning religious minorities and places of worship frequently becoming subjects of diplomatic exchanges between the two countries.