Refutation and Withdrawal of Legal Action
On 15 June 2006, the Foreign Office of Pakistan denied reports of the demolition as "incorrect and baseless", and confirmed that the temple is safe. It pointed out that the property that was demolished was several kilometres away from the temple. Ejazul Haq, Minister for Religious Affairs said that the temple is in "perfect condition". He responded to remarks from BJP leader L.K. Advani that minorities in Pakistan do not have religious freedom, by inviting Advani to "visit Lahore and pray at the temple".
Om Prakash Narayan, secretary general of the Pakistan Minority Welfare Council and a Hindu, had moved the Lahore High Court on 16 June to stop construction on the site, and the court issued a stay order and requested the Lahore Development Authority to provide information on the history of the site. By June 30, 2006, Narayan had withdrawn his writ, saying the temple was intact and he had filed the petition because of a misunderstanding. Narayan was reported as saying:
"…after visiting the place and being told by the locals that there was no temple where the plaza was being constructed, I decided to file an application in the court to withdraw my petition against the federal secretary of Religious Affairs and Evacuee Property Trust Board (ETPB) chairman."
Narayan criticised remarks by BJP leaders as misleading, and accused them of attempting to damage India-Pakistan relations.
The Pakistan Hindu Council confirmed that no Krishna temple had been demolished in Lahore.
Read more about this topic: 2006 Lahore Temple Demolition
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