Well-known religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani in a statement on Thursday expressed his opinion regarding the construction of a Hindu temple in Islamabad, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

He said, “Non-Muslims in the Islamic state have the right to maintain their places of worship wherever it is necessary for their population. A country like Pakistan which is made for peace can build new places of worship as per the need,” he maintained.

However, Mufti Usmani said, “It is not permissible for the government to build a temple at its own expense, especially at a place where the Hindu community is not in a big number.”

Mufti Taqi Usmani said, “I don’t know why these types of things are being popped up that will only yield nothing but harm.”

On the other hand, Punjab Information Minister Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan said that the present government has nothing to do with allotting land for the construction of this temple.

Fayyaz-ul-Hassan said, “In 2016, the PML-N allotted land for the construction of the temple at the request of the Hindu Panchayat Council. The construction of temple poses no threat to the Islam of 220 million people of Pakistan as Islam is based on jihad and ijtihad.”

He said Pakistanis are open-minded and will welcome the construction of any churches, gurdwaras and temples with an open heart.

However, Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in a video statement, while strongly opposing the establishment of the Hindu temple in Islamabad, had said that Pakistan came into existence in the name of Islam and building a new temple in the capital is not only against the spirit of Islam but it is also an insult to the ‘state of Madinah’.

He said that on the occasion of Makkah Victory, the last of the Prophets, Hazrat Muhammad (SAW), along with Hazrat Ali (RA) broke 360 idols in Baitullah Sharif and at the same time said, “Truth has come and falsehood has vanished.”

Pervaiz Elahi said, “We are with the rights of minorities, existing temples should be repaired. The Katas Raj Temple was repaired during my tenure: For the first time in my tenure, we budgeted for the repair of churches in Pakistan.”

The construction of the first Hindu temple in Islamabad began on Tuesday.

The site of the Shri Krishna Mandir (temple) complex will include a crematorium, accommodation for visitors, a community hall and a parking space spread across an area of four kanals. Prime Minister Imran Khan had approved a grant of Rs100 million for the construction of the first Hindu temple in the capital.