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LAHORE, Dec 05 (APP):Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain inaugurated a residential complex for Hindu pilgrims at the Katas Raj temple, under the management of Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), here on Thursday.
Addressing the ceremony, he said that minorities had been living here since before the creation of Pakistan. “We will work for the beautification of the holy places of not only Hindus but also other religions. The minorities living in Pakistan are our own people. We will give a good message to the world regarding the minority community,” he said adding that Katas Raj was a great cultural heritage consisting of different religions. He said that according to modern requirements, a 36-room building adjacent to the Katas Raj temples had been constructed at a cost of Rs 190 million. It would accommodate the Hindu pilgrims coming from inside the country as well as abroad.
ETPB Chairman Syed Atta-ur-Rehman thanked the federal minister and said “we have the full support of the Government of Pakistan and the district governments to serve the minorities in Pakistan and to provide hospitality to the pilgrims coming from abroad”. He said that there was a significant change in the historic Katas Raj Temple by adding 36 residential rooms and sub-modern facilities.
In addition to improved facilities, 6,000 plants of different species have been planted for the health of the temple environment and conservation of the heritage has been ensured with modern infrastructure and environmental awareness. The ETPB has installed a 40-kW solar system and spacious parking facilities at the Katas Raj Temple so that Hindu pilgrims and tourists from Pakistan and around the world could enjoy complete facilities.
President of the Pakistan Hindu Mainder Management Committee (PHMMC) Krishan Sharma specially thanked Federal Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Chairman ETPB for the construction and renovation of the Katas Raj Complex and said that Hindu religious places of worship in Pakistan are safe. He said that Pakistan is a minority-friendly country and I want to send a message to the Hindu community around the world that they should come to Pakistan and visit their religious places of worship.
The ceremony was attended by Federal Secretary for Religious Affairs Zulfiqar Haider, Secretary ETPB Farid Iqbal, Additional Secretary Shrines Saifullah Khokhar, Additional Secretary Admin Sanaullah Khan, Chief Engineer Haq Nawaz.Shahid Bashir,Deputy Commissioner, DPO, Chakwal Ahmad Mohayudin and a large number of representatives of the Hindu and Sikh community.