MANSEHRA: The residents of Mansehra city and its outskirts on Tuesday announced that they would take the district administration to the Peshawar High Court for not acquiring land to construct a graveyard in the region despite the allocation of Rs200 million funds since 2017.

“Our cemeteries have run out of space but the administration hasn’t acquired land for the proposed graveyard despite having funds in its accounts,” Adil Dilawar Khan told reporters.

Accompanied by a group of locals, Mr Khan said the Rs200 million was released by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government in 2017 for land acquisition but it hadn’t been utilised yet.

He warned the people would take to the streets if the cemetery project was delayed further.

“We want the deputy commissioner to tell us where the graveyard funds have gone,” he said.

The resident said his lawyers had putting the finishing touches to a petition to be filed with the high court’s Abbottabad Circuit Bench on the matter.

He said the anti-corruption establishment would also be approached for necessary action.

“We want all those responsible for this long delay to be taken to justice as the people have suffered from lack of space in graveyards to buy their loves ones,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz will hold the workers’ convention here on Saturday (Dec 31).

PML-N provincial vice-president Riaz Ali Shah told reporters on Tuesday that the function would be attended and addressed by the party’s senior leaders and office-bearers.

He said the success of the workers’ convention would prove the PML-N’s popularity in Hazara division.

PML-N district president Zafar Mehmood said preparations had been finalised for the Dec 31 event, which would attract large crowds of people from across the division.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2022