Cemeteries of Utamanzai: Stay order issued against construction of road
A stay order was issued against the construction of a road in the middle of a cemetery in Utamanzai area of Charasadda on Thursday by the Peshawar High Court (PHC).
A single member bench of Justice Malik Manzoor was informed by Advocate Shah Nawaz Khan that the National Highway Authority wanted to construct a road running through the graveyard and it was against the law to do so. Khan is the counsel for petitioners, Fatih Muhammad Khan and other elders of the area.
The advocate argued PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan had issued clear instructions for all graveyards in the province. He added the cemetery’s land should not be used for anything other than what it was designed for.
According to Shah Nawaz, the elders had complained to the deputy commissioner, Ministry of Auqaf and other officials, but no action was taken.
The bench issued a stay order against the construction of the road.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 3rd, 2014.