Zhob is a historical town located 300 kilometers northwest of Quetta city, the capital of Balochistan province. Known as Fort Sandeman during the British Raj, Zhob was home to many Hindus. Many of them migrated to India during the turbulent partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, but some of the Hindus families chose to continue living in Zhob. However, the main temple of Hindus, which is 200 years old, was closed down and its building was taken over at the time of partition. This temple was converted into a school 35 years ago. Meanwhile, the Hindus of Zhob established a makeshift prayer place in a mud building, which could collapse anytime.
Last week, this town made a spectacle of inter-faith harmony, where the otherwise conservative Muslims clerics agreed to handover to the Hindu community the temple that had been taken away from them in 1947. Meanwhile, the school that was operating in the temple has been shifted to another location in the town.
