Committees Formed To Improve The Condition Of Cemeteries: Administrator

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Apr, 2021 ) :Administrator Karachi Laeeq Ahmed on Monday said that Managing committees were being formed to improve the condition of cemeteries in the metropolis.

"The involvement of social and welfare organizations in the management of the cemeteries would improve the overall situation,"the Administrator expressed these views while addressing a meeting on cemeteries in which representatives of various social and welfare organizations of Karachi participated.

He said that in the first phase, work would start from six cemeteries which would be expanded to the entire city in phases.

Senior Director Coordination Khalid Khan, Director Land Tariq Siddiqui, Director Cemeteries Iqbal Pervez, Manzar Alam Senior Manager of Al-Khidmat, Zafar Abbas General Secretary of JDC, Yahya Attari of Faizan Global Foundation, Rehan Yaseen and Faheem Anwar of Alamgir Welfare Trust, Arif Jamali and Sajjad of Chhipa Welfare President of Sunni Ittehad Council Khalid Noor and others were also present on the occasion.

Laeeq said that managing committees should be set up for supervising cemeteries' affairs. The committees would also formulate the procedure for issuance of the certificate, he said.

The members of the committees would provide services to every citizen without any discrimination and would provide all possible facilities to the citizens who come to the graveyards for the burial of their loved ones and relatives, he said.

The first six graveyards included Sakhi Hassan Cemetery, Mohammad Shah Cemetery North Karachi, Issa Nagri Cemetery, Model Colony Cemetery, Tariq Road Cemetery and Al Noor Cemetery where the situation would change radically after the management committees took over.

Ahmed said that efforts would be made to persuade the citizens not to insist on burying their loved ones in a grave where a body was already buried.

Giving a briefing on the occasion, Director Cemetery Iqbal Pervez said that there were 203 cemeteries in the city, 89 general other societies' graveyards while 39 were registered and 50 were unregistered.

Among the registered cemeteries were 11 in Central District, two in East, 13 in West, 9 in Malir and 4 in Korangi.

Pervaiz said"Although most of these cemeteries are full, the relatives insist that burial should be done in a specific cemetery. The situation has changed due to the outbreak of Covid-19 and the increase in the death rate." The Administrator Karachi said that besides establishment of new cemeteries, condition of existing cemeteries should also be improved as it would solve many problems of the citizens.

Ahmed said that it was commendable that the social and welfare organizations working in the city have extended a helping hand to improve the condition of cemeteries.

"These organizations are aware of the situation of cemeteries in different parts of the city. Their cooperation in this work will be important," he said.

The Administrator warned that no mafia would be allowed in the cemeteries, adding that the citizens have the right of getting place in the cemetery at a reasonable rate for the burial of their loved ones. One window operation was being introduced in this regard.

He said that issuance of certificate after burial in the cemetery has also become an issue which would be worked out through the managing committees to formulate a strategy, in which all the rules and regulations would be kept in view.

Ahmed hoped that the work, which initially started from 6 cemeteries in the city would gradually expand to the entire city and the people don't face hardships for burial of their loved ones in the future.

"It is amongst Primary responsibilities of the local bodies to manage cemeteries affair and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation will fulfill all its responsibilities in this regard," he concluded.