Graveyard bylaws notified in Pindi

Official says deceased persons deserve to be buried with dignity

RAWALPINDI:

In order to resolve a plethora of issues concerning the graveyards in the garrison city including the shortage of space and encroachment of the burial spaces by members of the land mafia, Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha as Administrator of the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation has notified The Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation, Regulation of Burial Places/Graveyard bylaws, 2023.

According to sources, the bylaws shall not apply to the graveyards established under the cantonment, Auqaf department and Punjab Shehr-e-Khamsohan Authority.

Sources said those who do not implement the bylaws will be prosecuted under the 4th and 5th Schedules in addition to the imposition of fines.

According to the documents reviewed by The Express Tribune, a separate committee will be in charge of the affairs for each graveyard in the garrison city.

As per the bylaws, the committee will be responsible for formulating policy for maintaining and managing burial places, monitoring, giving suggestions for its improvement, protecting burial places from encroachment, ensuring regular fumigation and larvicidal sprays in burial places and assisting local government in any damage to any graves.

“No new burial place shall be established without the approval of the local government. The local government will determine the location of the new graveyard in the metropolitan area within 60 days,” the notification read.

No person shall bring any animal, tonga or vehicle to the graveyard. Similarly, no one shall be allowed to sell flowers within the premises, the burial of the poor persons will be arranged by the local government on its own and regular records will be kept.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2023.