Real issue funding, not construction of Hindu temple: Noorul Haq Qadri.

ISLAMABAD -- Minister of Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri on Wednesday, commenting on the construction of a Hindu temple in the capital, said that there was "no question" about its construction and the real issue was whether or not it could be built using pubic funds.

Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, he said there has been a lot of talk on the issue recently.

There is no need to debate on the rights of minorities as they are protected by the PTI government. The party's manifesto calls for removing all obstructions in the implementation of constitutional provisions regarding the rights of minorities.

The minister said that a few minority members of the assembly had contacted him and said they had acquired four kanals for the temple and asked him to arrange funds for its construction.

"I told them that I had limited funds for renovating existing places of worship and can't arrange such a large sum.

"On the request of the members, the matter was referred to the prime minister and there has been no progress in this regard," he said, adding that since then, a few religious...