Islamabad , A parliamentary panel on minority affairs in Pakistan has been told that of the 1,817 Hindu temples and Sikh gurdwaras recorded in the country, only 37 are still operational, highlighting decades of neglect, demographic decline and chronic underfunding of non-Muslim religious heritage.
The data, presented this week to the National Assembly’s Minority Caucus and first reported by the English-language daily Dawn, underscores the long-term consequences of mass migration of Hindus and Sikhs to India after the 1947 Partition, compounded by what critics describe as official indifference and occasional hostility.
Many of the abandoned sites are now in an advanced state of disrepair, with roofs collapsed, walls crumbling and interiors stripped. The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), the state body responsible for managing properties left behind by departing minorities, has faced persistent criticism for inadequate maintenance budgets and alleged mismanagement.
Committee member Kesoomal Khel Das, a lawmaker from Sindh, warned that dozens of the remaining structures are at risk of illegal encroachment or deliberate demolition unless urgent protective measures are taken. He urged the government to declare the sites national heritage monuments, allocate dedicated conservation funds and reopen them to international pilgrims, particularly from India, as a means of generating tourism revenue and fostering interfaith dialogue.
The report also raised concern over what it called “hate material” in state-approved school textbooks that allegedly promotes prejudice against religious minorities. Non-Muslims currently constitute roughly 4 per cent of Pakistan’s 240m population, with Hindus accounting for 1.6 per cent, Christians 1.3 per cent and Ahmadis 0.2 per cent.
Minority rights advocates have long argued that systemic discrimination, forced conversions and sporadic mob violence have accelerated the erosion of Pakistan’s pre-Partition pluralistic heritage. The latest disclosures are likely to renew calls from New Delhi and international human rights organisations for Islamabad to fulfil its constitutional obligations to protect minority places of worship.
The government has yet to issue an official response to the parliamentary report.
