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Q.3917 RELIGIOUS PLACES IN PAKISTAN
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3917
TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.09.2011
SHRI AVINASH RAI KHANNA:
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the number of Temples, Gurudwara etc. in Pakistan;
(b) whether they are properly maintained by the Pakistan Government;
(c) if not, the steps Government would take for the protection or maintenance of these religious place?
ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI E. AHAMED)
(a) to (c) There are several hundred Temples, Gurudwaras etc. in Pakistan. Government has seen reports from time to time that some places of worship of the minority communities in Pakistan are not properly maintained. In some cases, Government has taken up the matter with the Government of Pakistan. Government of Pakistan stated that it was fully cognizant of the situation and looked after the welfare of all its citizens, particularly the minority community. Moreover, under the bilateral Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines signed in September 1974 by India and Pakistan, it is the obligation of the concerned country to make every effort to ensure that the places of worship in the agreed list of shrines under the Protocol are properly maintained and their sanctity preserved.