A private media outlet that had claimed credit for getting stopped the construction of Islamabad’s first Hindu temple later retracted its story amid severe backlash.

As per the details, the construction of the first Hindu temple in the federal capital has been stopped by the authorities after fierce opposition from religious hardliners as well as an ally of the ruling party, Chaudhrys of Gujrat’s Pakistan Muslim League (PML).

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Friday stopped construction of the boundary wall on the plot meant for the temple citing legal reasons.

RELATED STORIES

A joint team of the CDA’s enforcement and building control departments reached the site of the temple in Sector H-9/2 and directed workers to stop constructing the boundary wall.

According to reports, a CDA official said that the building control laws of the civic authority clearly stated that no activity could take place on a plot until the building plan was approved.

However, according to another CDA official, it was possibly the first time that this clause had been enforced as all owners were allowed to construct boundary walls and ensure possession of their plot while formalities regarding approval of the map continue.

READ: Islamabad to get its first Hindu temple

Meanwhile, a private media outlet, 92 News, claimed the credit for stopping the construction of the temple.

“Owing to successful efforts of 92 News, the CDA stopped the construction of a temple in Islamabad on Friday,” the news channel said in a report titled “92 News Efforts Bear Fruit As CDA Stops Construction Of Temple In Islamabad“, which has now been retracted.

Earlier, the construction of the temple had been opposed by religio-political among other right-wing organisations.

A leading religious school had issued a fatwa against construction of the temple, calling it “un-Islamic”, while parties like Jamiat Ulemae Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) had voiced their concerns over the same for they said it was “against Pakistan’s ideology”.

PML leader and Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi had also said that Pakistan was created in the name of Islam and construction of a temple on its soil “was against the very spirit of Islam”.