The demolition of historic Hindu temples or any religious sites for commercial purposes is a loss not just for the communities directly affected, but also for cultural heritage as a whole. These sites often carry significant historical and spiritual value, serving as symbols of the shared history and diversity of our world. According to the sources, a historical Hindu temple Khyber Temple in Pakistan has been demolished for the construction of a commercial complex. The location of the temple was in Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghanistan border. The temple was situated in the border area of Landi Kotal Bazaar and had been reportedly vanishing brick by brick since years. Sources claim that the construction work at the site started about 10-15 days ago, but the Pakistani officials have denied the existence of the temple.Pakistans leading tribal journalist Ibrahim Shinwari has also confirmed the existence of the temple and according to him the temple was closed in 1947 at the time of partition when Hindus were migrated to India. He also informed the media house that some clerics and seminarians damaged the temple in 1992 following the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in India.Concerns have been expressed regarding the absence of preservation efforts for historical non-Muslim places of worship, despite contradictory statements from officials. Meanwhile, one of the officials have emphasized the necessity of taking preventative action to safeguard such sites and lamented the lack of an auqaf department office in the Khyber tribal district.Such actions highlight the importance of preserving and respecting cultural and religious landmarks, regardless of their current use or ownership.
