PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa education department has decided to shift a girls primary school being run inside a temple in Nowshera for the last 25 years to a nearby location, and to hand over the holy place to the local Hindu community.

Since there was no primary school in Risalpur area of Nowshera, then provincial government had temporarily acquired the temple premises for six months in 1993. A school is being run inside the temple since then.

Despite requests by the locals, as well as minority members of the provincial assembly, the temple was not handed over to the community.

Now, according to a communique issued by the K-P Elementary and Secondary Education Department, the GGPS Mandir Risalpur building is to be handed over to the Hindu community within a month, whereas the educational institution shall be shifted to a nearby government school or a rented building.

The K-P's Hindu community has expressed joy over the provincial government's move.

Chairman Minority Coordination Council Haroon Sarb Diyal termed the decision historic. He said the religious abode will be used to promote both educational and welfare activities.

It is worth mentioning that similar directives to vacate the premises had been issued by previous governments as well but to no avail.