Historic site: Rajanpur district govt renovates colonial cemetery

The oldest grave at the cemetery was built in 1837

RAJANPUR:

The district government of Rajanpur on Sunday opened a public park and a 163-year-old cemetery.

The graveyard was discovered by Rajanpur Government Postgraduate College principal Dr Shakeel Pitafi. The district government declared the graveyard an archaeological site and developed a park around the area at a cost of Rs15 million.

Pitafi told The Express Tribune that some British India Army officers and workers who had constructed the railway track between Balochistan and south Punjab were buried there. He said Colonel Thomas Frames, the head of the engineering corps of British Indian Army, occupied the oldest grave there. He said his grave was built in 1837. He said the most recent graves were built in 1877. Shakeel said at least 20 graves belonged to British nationals. Of these, he said, six belonged to officers of the British Indian Army. He said 18 additional graves had been discovered during renovations.  Pitafi said the land was being illegally occupied when it was retrieved by the district government.

DCO Zahoor Hussain told The Express Tribune that a small park had been developed by the district government at a cost of Rs10 million. He said the graves were renovated for Rs5 million. He said the park had been designed by landscape architect Abdul Rauf.

“It will offer space for the newly-elected members of the district council,” he said.

The DCO said the provincial government had facilitated the district government’s project to preserve the historical site. “We have also contacted the British consulate about the graveyard,” he said.  He said 10 kanals had been retrieved from encroachers during the renovation. He said the area had been cleared. He said the park had been opened to public on Easter.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th,  2016.