A Hindu temple was vandalised in Pakistan’s largest city Karachi after a Hindu boy was accused of making a blasphemous statement by the Muslim community of the city's Lyari district.
Coverage of the temple in Lee market show idols of Hindu gods torn down and thrown out of the temple. The temple was razed by the angry mob.
Tensions have mounted since the act of vandalism. Police officers and rangers have been brought in to control the situation.
The incident occurred on Sunday night when a boy belonging to the Hindu community was accused of writing offensive comments about the Muslim religion on a dog. However, the allegations remain unproved.
Three Hindu temples have reportedly been desecrated in Pakistan in 20 days. On 10 October, someone was arrested for allegedly vandalising a temple in Pakistan's Sindh province, according to a report on PTI.
This comes as protests continue in parts of Karachi over the alleged abduction, conversion to Islam and marriage of a 13-year-old Christian girl, Arzoo Raja, to a 44-year-old man. The Sindh court granted the alleged abductor custody of the minor, ruling that she had married the man of her own "free will".
From scandalous abductions and later forced marriages of Catholic, Hindu and Sikh girls to vandalising churches and temples, Pakistan has long been accused of mistreating minorities.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom in its 2020 report, called Pakistan a “country of particular concern” over the continued persecution of minorities.