PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has criticized the Auqaf and Archaeology departments for their failure to resolve the issue of the historic Panj Tirath temple property.
The bench, made up of Chief Justice Qaiser Rasheed Khan and Justice Ejaz Anwer, expressed annoyance at the departments and questioned their performance, noting their ignorance of the valuable property located in the middle of the city.
As per the details, Chief Justice Qaiser Rasheed Khan held the officers of the Archaeology and Auqaf departments responsible for the issue and warned of possible court action against them.
He also instructed Dr. Samad, an official of the Archaeology department to visit Chacha Younas Park and take action against the illegal armed persons occupying the park.
Earlier, Dr. Samad informed the court that the district administration was delaying the matter and that the temple site was located in an area of 5 Kanal and 11 marlas, not the 1 Kanal and 11 marlas as agreed upon by the district administration.
He also mentioned that the armed presence in the park was preventing officials from visiting the site.
It is worth noting that the historical Panj Tirath temple, over 1,000 years old, is located inside the Chacha Younus Family Park in Hashtnagri and is considered one of the most sacred places for Hindus.
Besides, it has been declared a national heritage by the provincial government’s Directorate of Archaeology and Museums.
Moreover, the site gets its name from the 5 pools of water and has been mentioned in Hindu mythology as a place where the 5 brothers lived and their followers established a temple and 5 pools in their memory.
