Minister pushes for minority graveyard equality

Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs, Ramesh Singh Arora emphasised the universal right to a graveyard, stating it should not be restricted to specific areas during a meeting held in Lahore on Tuesday.

Chairing the session at the department’s committee room, Arora announced plans to correspond with all district deputy commissioners (DCs) to designate minority graveyard locations at the union council (UC) level.

The gathering, attended by MPAs including Ijaz Alam Augustine, Emmanuel Aether Johnson, Shakila Javed Aether, and Baba Philbos Christopher, addressed concerns regarding minority cemetery availability, particularly within the Shehr-e-Khomoshan Authority.

MPA Ijaz Alam Augustine highlighted the absence of a Christian cemetery between Chungi Amarsadhu and Gujjumta, urging reserved land allocation in areas like Yohanabad with sizable Christian populations.

Similar appeals were made for Gujranwala’s Christian community by MPA Baba Philbos.

MPA Sonia Asher flagged the plight of Lahore’s Christian communities in Bihar Colony and Green Town, facing issues due to insufficient cemetery space.

Assuring swift action, Minister Arora pledged to initiate the process of identifying cemetery lands for minorities promptly.

He appointed Additional Secretary Human Rights, Rizwana Naveed, as the department’s focal person, urging MPs to liaise with Naveed for cemetery-related concerns.

Arora affirmed the identification of mandatory burial sites for Christian, Hindu, and Sikh communities, promising a follow-up meeting to monitor progress on the discussed issues.