RAWALPINDI: The divisional administration on Thursday resolved the persistent problem of a shortage of graveyard land and allocated 50 per cent of Rakh Dhamial Graveyard area to the cantonment boards of Rawalpindi and Chaklala.

Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaquat Ali Chatha, while presiding over a meeting held regarding the Rakh Dhamial graveyard, said the shortage of land for the graveyard was a long-standing problem for the people of Rawalpindi.

He said that out of the 1,000 kanals of land allocated for the Rakh Dhamial graveyard, 450 kanals of land would be given to Rawalpindi and Chaklala Cantonments. Besides this, he said 450 kanals had been allocated to the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) and another 100 kanals had been reserved for minorities.

The Punjab government had given 1,000 kanals of land at Rakh Dhamial to the RMC for the graveyard in 1996. The elected members of the Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) had sought the commissioner’s help in the allocation of the land at Rakh Dhamial Graveyard for the residents of the cantonment areas. The members wanted the help of the commissioner to resolve the issue and end the shortage of graveyard land for the civilian population in the cantonment areas.

The commissioner said Rakh Dhamial Graveyard would be made a model graveyard whose four walls had been completed. The funeral place was also ready, he said, adding that a bus to carry dead bodies and an ambulance facility were also available.

The fee for a grave has been fixed at Rs5,000 and those who cannot afford it will not be charged. The RMC and Rawalpindi Waste Management Company will be responsible for cleanliness of the graveyard.

The members of the two cantonment boards lauded the commissioner’s decision and termed it a great relief for the citizens. They said the issue of connecting roads for the Rakh Dhamial Graveyard was also raised during the recent visit of Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi. They hoped that a good connecting road would be built to facilitate the citizens reaching the graveyard on time for funerals and burials.

The meeting was attended by Station Commander Brigadier Salman Nazar, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board Chief Executive Officer Imran Gulzar and officials of the CCB and the RMC officials.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2023