Pakistan on Thursday denied media reports that the only Krishna temple in Lahore has been razed and said the temple is safe.
A structure was demolished to make way for the construction of a commercial complex, but there was no temple there, a foreign office statement said.
'The only Krishna temple that exists in Lahore is safe and the temple referred to in a section of the press is an abandoned property being used partly for residential and commercial purposes since the time of the independence according to a clarification of Evacuee Trust Property Board of Pakistan,' a Foreign Office statement said.
'The media report is factually incorrect. In fact, the Krishna temple is situated on Ravi Road, Lahore, whereas the property under reference is in Rang Mahal, Lahore. Both the locations are several kilometers apart,' it said.
However, there is a temple in Wachhowali Bazar in Lahore, which is about 300 feet away from the property under reference. That temple too is intact, the foreign office said.
Contrary to the alleged demolition, the Evacuee Trust Property Board has made considerable improvements in a number of temples including the Krishna temple, at the cost of Rs 13.8 million during the last three years, it said.
Report in a Pakistani newspaper that the only Krishna temple in Lahore has been demolished for construction of a commercial complex sparked off a strong reaction by the Sangh Parivar, including the Bharatiya Janata party, and the Indian government sought a clarification from Pakistan on the issue.