ISLAMABAD:The Supreme Court directed Punjab Police chief Inam Ghani and the chief secretary on Friday to take action against the culprits involved in the attack on a Hindu temple in Rahim Yar Khan.A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed took up the case at the request of Pakistan Hindu Council Chairperson Dr Ramesh Kumar – who was also present in the court – after a mob vandalised the Shree Ganesh temple in Bhong village of Rahim Yar Khan a day earlier.

A viral video clip showed people armed with clubs and rods storming the temple and smashing its doors, windows, lights, fans and religious idols.During the hearing, the SC said the government should recover money for the repair and restoration of the temple from the accused. The apex court grilled the police and district administration over their failure to act in time.

“What were the police and local authorities doing at the time of the attack on the temple,” the chief justice asked the IG present in the court. IG Ghani responded that the assistant commissioner and assistant superintendent police (ASP) were present on the spot.

However, they focused on the “protection of at least 70 residences of Hindu community” located around the temple.The CJP said that if the administration – commissioner, deputy commissioner, and the district police officer – could not perform their duties then they should be removed from the respective posts.

The CJP said police officials did nothing while the temple was being razed and added that the incident has tarnished Pakistan's image across the world.The IG apprised the bench that terrorism clauses have been added to the FIR. At this, Justice Qazi Amin asked if the police have arrested anyone in the case. The IG responded that police have yet to make arrests in the case. This prompted Justice Amin to say that the police failed to perform their duty.

Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed also chided the IGP, saying the police have not made any arrests despite the passage of three days. The CJP said it seemed that the police lacked enthusiasm, adding that had the police been professional the issue would have been resolved by now.

The CJP wondered what would have been the reaction of Muslims had a mosque been demolished in a similar fashion. The CJP wondered what the Hindu community had felt when their temple was being demolished.

Justice Amin added that the police will reach an agreement with the accused and they would be released on bail. He added that the temple should be reconstructed with government money. The court further said peace committees should be set up to promote interfaith harmony.Prime Minister Imran Khan has also taken notice of the incident, Additional Attorney General Sohail Mahmood said during the hearing.

CJP grills bureaucracy, police

During the hearing, the chief justice criticised the police for registering a case against an eight-year-old boy and arresting him for alleged blasphemy. “Does an eight-year-old child know the difference between a Hindu and a Muslim,” the CJP asked.

He directed the IGP to dismiss the SHO responsible for arresting the child over alleged blasphemy. The IGP said the SHO will be suspended and a departmental inquiry will be initiated against him. The CJP responded that the government officials enjoy suspension as they still get paid.

The CJP also grilled the Punjab bureaucracy. He added that the bureaucracy “does not do any work as it is more concerned with enjoying the lifestyle”. He said nobody knows how the provincial administration works. He further asked how does the Punjab government evaluates the performance of the civil servants.

The Punjab chief secretary informed the court that the government was making every effort to create religious harmony. He claimed that hatred is spread during Muharram and other such religious festivals. He also blamed social media for an increase in hateful content.

The CJP said the Karak temple case where an action was taken by the police was an exception, as in several other incidents, nothing was done despite court orders.“Our police and administration start working after the incident,” the chief justice said, urging the need for a system that stops such incidents before they happen.

However, the police chief assured the court that all people will be brought to justice in the case. He said there was a mosque, imambargah and temple in Bhong, adding that Alam (religious flag) at the Imambargah was also burnt for which an FIR was being registered.

Three cases have been registered for closure of temple, Imambargah and motorway, the IGP said, adding that all the accused would be arrested with video evidence.At this, Ramesh Kumar said that Abdul Razzaq Soomro, who incited the mob, has not been arrested as of yet. “An eight-year-old boy urinated in his clothes after he was beaten up in the mosque,” he said, adding that the details of the incident were distorted to incite hatred.