Former Pak Cricketer Danish Kaneria Urges Global Hindu Solidarity Over Attacks On Temples In Pakistan

Former Pakistani cricketer Danish Kaneria, who is a Hindu of Gujarati ethnicity, has urged global Hindu solidarity over recent temple attacks in Pakistan.

Kaneria has called on Hindus all over the world to raise their voice against injustice, following the recent razing of one Hindu temple and the attack on another with a rocket launcher in Pakistan.

Kaneria himself is the second Hindu to have played for Pakistan after former test wicket-keeper Anil Dalpat, who is his cousin.

"Why is the Intl. Community silent on the demolition of historical temples in Pakistan? (sic) Countless atrocities like conversion, kidnapping, rape & murder are happening everyday. There is no freedom of religion. Hindus all over the world should raise their voice against injustice," Kaneria tweeted on Monday (17 July).

Earlier in two separate incidents in Sindh province of Pakistan, a 150-year old Hindu temple was razed to ground while another temple was attacked with rocket launchers.

A group of assailants attacked a Hindu temple and adjoining homes belonging to the Hindu community in Sindh’s Kashmore during the early hours of Sunday.

The group fired “rocket launchers” at the Hindu temple, which was closed during the attack. The temple opens annually for religious services conducted by the Bagri community.

According to local police, eight or nine gunmen were involved in the attack. The rocket launchers fired by the attackers failed to explode, resulting in no loss of life.

Bagri community, widely regarded in an indigenous community in Pakistan’s Sindh and Punjab provinces, is referred to as ‘scheduled caste’ in Pakistan’s constitution. They speak Bagri language and practice Hinduism.

Dawn quoted Dr Suresh, a member of the Bagri community, as saying that the rocket launchers fired by the dacoits failed to explode, resulting in no loss of life.

He urged the police to protect the community, saying the incident had left the residents in a state of panic.

The violent attack on the Kashmore temple comes days after dacoits in the Kashmore and Ghotki riverine areas issued threats to attack Hindu places of worship and community members in retaliation to Seema Haider Jakhrani's PUBG love story.

On late Friday night, the 150-year old Mari Mata Temple in Karachi’s Soldier Bazar was razed to the ground by bulldozers in the presence of a heavy contingent of police force.

The temple was demolished after being declared an old and dangerous structure in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh Province.

The temple, which is spread over 400-500 square yards, had been the target of land grabbers and developers for years now.

The temple was under the management of the Madrasi Hindu community of Karachi.

A member of the Madrasi Hindu community said that they were facing pressure to vacate by two individuals, namely, Imran Hashmi and Rekha AKA Nagin Bai.

There were also reports that the temple was being sold off by the two named to another party for an amount of 70 million rupees and the buyers were looking to build a commercial building there.

Ram Nath Mishra Maharaj, the caretaker of the nearby Shri Punch Mukhi Hanuman Mandir, said that the bulldozers left the outer walls and the temple’s main gate intact, but they demolished the entire inside structure.

The community has appealed to the Pakistan-Hindu Council, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and the Inspector General of Sindh police to address the issue on an urgent basis.