‘UnIslamic’ Buddha statue was found in Pakistan while digging later broken into pieces

In Pakistan, the increasing incidence of intolerance and persecution of minorities is not hidden from anyone. Another new case has come to light recently after the construction of Krishna temple was banned. During the excavation of a field in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, a rare statue of Buddha was obtained which was broken at the behest of a local cleric.

Zahidullah, a police officer of Mardan district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, said that the construction workers had found the statue during the digging of a pipeline at a farm in Tehsil Takhtabai. Following the order of the local cleric, the excavator contractor and laborers broke the statue to pieces.

Significantly, the area is a tourist destination for many Buddhist countries like Sri Lanka, Japan, And Korea and also has religious significance.
The ancient name of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is Gandhara and there is immense reverence in the minds of Buddhist followers for this region.
Although the police have arrested the contractor and the laborers, the cleric is still out of the police custody.