Jains urge Centre to register protest with Pak on idol issue

Expressing dismay over reports that an idol from an ancient Jain temple in Pakistan had gone missing ever since it was virtually demolished in 1992, members of Jain community here today urged the Centre to register protest on the issue with the neighbouring country.
Located near famous Anarkali Bazaar of old city in Lahore, a mob had heavily damaged the Jain Mandir in 1992 after the demolition of Babri mosque.
Early last month, authorities in Pakistan's Punjab province demolished the remains of the temple, notwithstanding a court order, to pave the way for a controversial metro line project.
Convenor of Jain Yuva Sanghatan, Anurodh Lalit Jain said, "We had requested External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to find out the exact status of the demolished temple."

Following our request, a top official of External Affairs Ministry had contacted the Indian High Commission in Islamabad and told us that the temple was demolished by a mob in 1992 and since then, neither worshiping was taking place in the temple, nor there was an idol in it, he added.
"We suspect that the idol was deliberately made to disappear. Indian government should register an official protest with Pakistan on this issue," Jain said.
Stating that they were worried over the security of places of worship of minorities in Pakistan, they demanded that India should diplomatically ensure that the temples there remain safe.

Before it was completely razed, the 10th-century temple was being used for some commercial purposes like shops and the office of the Lahore Waste Management Company and a private filling station.