Christians get burial space in Pindi’s new cemetery

Official inaugurates Rakh Dhamial graveyard built on 1,000 kanals of land

RAWALPINDI:

A long-standing problem of the people of the garrison city has been resolved with the joint efforts of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Rawalpindi Administration.

Rawalpindi Division Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha expressed these remarks at the inauguration of the Rakh Dhamial graveyard, a press statement issued by the commissioner’s office read on Saturday.

RCCI President and Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) Chairman Saqib Rafiq, Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation CEO Amjad Chaudhry, Pastor Adil Gill and representatives of other churches participated in the inauguration ceremony held at Rakh Dhamial.

Commissioner Chattha said 1,000 kanals of land have been allocated for the Rakh Dhamial graveyard. “Out of this, 500 kanals will be given to the RMC, 200 will be given to the Rawalpindi Cantt and 200 to Chaklala Cantt while 100 kanals of land has been allocated for minorities,” he explained. “Rakh Dhamial graveyard will be made a model graveyard, the boundary walls of which have been completed and the ground levelling work has started inside the cemetery,” he added.

Read Land allotment solves ‘chronic’ graveyard issue

The commissioner said a link road was also being laid. “Apart from this, the funeral area is also ready and deserving Christians who can’t bear the burden of transport can avail the facility of funeral bus and ambulance to bring the dead to the graveyard by calling the RMC office from anywhere in the city,” he said.

“The grave fee has been fixed at Rs5,000 but those who cannot afford it will not be charged,” he said and added that the RMC and RWMC would maintain the standard of cleanliness in the cemetery.

Chattha further said: “Our constitution provides all those rights to the minorities that the rest of the citizens of Pakistan are entitled. However, our effort is to provide facilities to the minorities beyond their basic rights so that they won’t feel themselves a minority.”

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