Pakistan rejected India’s allegations over the reported demolition of a century-old Hindu temple in Narowal on Friday.

Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan called the Indian claims “false and politically motivated.”

India’s Ministry of External Affairs raised concerns about the incident on September 2. It described the reported destruction of the temple in Siraj village as an act of vandalism against a historic Hindu place of worship.

Khan strongly rejected that account. He said torrential rains damaged the temple on July 21, 2026.

Pakistan Says Torrential Rains Damaged Temple

According to the Foreign Office, heavy rainfall caused the damage at the temple in Adda Siraj, Narowal.

Local authorities surveyed the site after the incident. They also began steps to restore the damaged structure.

Khan said India had distorted the facts surrounding the incident.

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He added that the temple’s structure suffered damage because of torrential rainfall, rather than deliberate demolition.

However, a minority rights group has presented a different account. The group alleged that authorities deliberately demolished the structure to make room for an adjoining seminary.

Pakistan has not accepted that allegation. Instead, the government continues to maintain that weather caused the damage.

India Raises Concern Over Historic Temple

India’s Foreign Ministry expressed concern over reports about the temple on September 2.

The ministry described the structure as a century-old minority place of worship. It also raised concerns about its reported destruction.

Pakistan, meanwhile, rejected India’s characterization of the incident.

Khan accused New Delhi of using the issue for political purposes.

He said such claims could not change the facts surrounding the temple’s condition.

“It is, therefore, shameful that India is distorting facts and resorting to cheap gimmicks,” Khan said.

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The Foreign Office also criticized India’s record on minority rights.

Khan said India’s allegations could not divert attention from what Pakistan described as the persecution of minorities.

He specifically referred to Muslim, Sikh and Christian communities in India.

“Such deliberate distortion of facts cannot distract attention from India’s abysmal record of systematic persecution of minorities and state-sponsored attacks against their places of worship,” he said.

Furthermore, Khan criticized what he described as the use of Hindutva ideology against minority communities.

He said Indian leaders should face accountability over alleged persecution.

Dispute Highlights Minority Rights Concerns

The Narowal temple dispute has added another point of tension between Pakistan and India.

Both countries regularly exchange accusations over the treatment of religious minorities. Consequently, claims involving places of worship can quickly become politically sensitive.

In this case, Pakistan says torrential rains caused the temple damage. At the same time, a minority rights group has alleged deliberate demolition.

The two accounts remain sharply different.

For now, Pakistani authorities say they have started restoration efforts at the site. The Foreign Office has also rejected India’s allegations and defended Pakistan’s position on the incident.