Who owns Panj Tirath? The battle for the centuries-old religious site intensifies
The federal government is the latest to claim ownership of the Panj Tirath, a centuries-old Hindu site in Peshawar.
The Evacuee Trust Property Board wants to know under what authority has the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s archaeology department been posting notices on the property.
“The action of pasting notices is direct interference in the federal business which is not only creating hurdles in receipt of rent but also rising disputes between the tenants and ETPB,” read a letter written by the trust. ETPB is the custodian of all the Hindu and Sikh shrines, the letter says.
The action comes in response to instructions of the archaeology department. The department officials had written a letter to the Peshawar deputy commissioner to get people to move from the property.
The Peshawar Hindu Panchayat Rajpot Welfare Society has asked the government to hand over a centuries-old Hindu site to them so that they can use its temple. The society said it didn’t have its own temple in Peshawar, unlike other Hindu castes that have three to four temples in the city, and its followers have to worship at home.
In the letter, addressed to the president, the prime minister, chief justice, interior minister, federal religious affairs and interfaith harmony minister and chairperson of the standing committee of the National Assembly, the society said it had approached the authorities but nothing had been done yet.
On January 4, the KP government declared Panj Tirath a national heritage site. It is spread over 14 kanals and has five ponds and two temples on it.
Related: KP government declares Panj Tirath a national heritage site
According to a notification dated December 18, 2018, the site is not used for religious purposes. It was declared a heritage site under the Antiquities Act, 2016.
The site was allegedly damaged during the Afghan Durrani dynasty era in 1747 and restored by local Hindus during the Sikh era in 1834.
Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/news/2019/01/who-owns-panj-tirath-the-battle-for-the-centuries-old-religious-site-intensifies/