In what should be good news to Pakistan's beleaguered minorities, the government has said it would undertake massive renovation work of thousands of places of worship of minorities, mainly Sikhs and Hindus. 

The country has a total of 1830 worship places belonging to Sikh and Hindus. But just 31 among them are functional, reported The Express Tribune. Authorities plan to complete the renovation work this year. The provincial government, minorities' organizations, and the Evacuee Trust Property Board would undertake the work. 

Presently, work on two churches is going on in Lahore. In Rawalpindi, seven temples, including a gurudwara, are being renovated by authorities. The report also stated that the work on a community center, crematorium, and temple for the Hindu community in Islamabad is likely to be completed by the year-end.

Just a month back, Pakistan had to face international condemnation when an ancient Hindu temple in Khyber Pakhtuwkhwa province was demolished, and then burnt down, by a mob led by a local cleric. Soon after the incident, the government suspended many police officers for failing to stop the demolition. 

In addition to that, the provincial government had also announced the reconstruction of the temple.