Heritage Ram Leela Temple in Dera Ismail Khan Sealed Amid Demolition Controversy

Officials in Dera Ismail Khan locked the historic Ram Leela Temple located in Rahim Bazaar after civil society activists intervened to block its demolition for a commercial plaza. The building had previously been sealed by Assistant Commissioner Hamid Siddiq amid public protests, stopping construction work. Representatives of one outlet community and civil society held a joint meeting, condemning the demolition plan and urging elected officials to bring the issue before the National Assembly.

Attendees included former MPA Kishore Kumar, civil-society president Sohail Ahmed Azmi, and social worker Muhammad Nauman. They highlighted that the temple is among roughly 400 heritage properties identified by the Evacuee Trust Property Board and warned that authorities may lack legal authority to approve the plaza. The group called for an inquiry and said complaints would be filed with the district administration, the NA speaker, the archaeology department and other relevant bodies.